The LA Times reports:
When Zhang Rongde ponied up $12 million to build a steel plant in this dusty town in central China, local officials offered the out-of-town entrepreneur tax savings, cheaper electricity rates and the title of "honorary citizen."
In the U.S., an honor such as that might come with a symbolic key to the city. In Qinyang, it came with a red booklet that was like a get-out-of-jail-free card.
If stopped by police for a traffic violation, Zhang could flash the passport-sized pamphlet and officials would waive him along. If he happened to be in a club or hotel that was being raided, the honorary citizen would be assured of going about his business without being disturbed.
The booklet also gave him hefty discounts at medical clinics and priority for his children's enrollment in the town's best schools.
"This is kind of like a promotion," said Zhang, a tall, rugged man who moved to this city of 470,000 from the southeastern province of Fujian. He said he never took advantage of his status — "I'm a law-obeying citizen," the 63-year-old former soldier declared — but some of the 60 investors in other ventures who received the honor did.
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