Originally Posted by
djuice
I think pilots in China are paid better than the average Chinese citizens. The airline jobs (pilots & flight attendants) are still considered "glamorous jobs" and well paid jobs in China. He decided to seek political asylum in the US because if he returns to China, most likely he'll be sent to the labor camp to be tortured and persecuted. At best, he'll be released in a few years if he writes a "repentance letter" to give up his practice. At worst, he could lose his life or have his organ harvested for profit by the Chinese government. It was not an easy decision for him to leave his wife and daughter (I think this is all mentioned in the article).