It seems strange that so many wealthy would serve in the equivalent of congress. I can understand trying to be a figurehead like a mayor or governor or president, but congress seems like a get your hands at least a little bit dirty sort of a job, without as much limelight. Maybe congress in China is different.
I'm pretty sure the system in China is family based and that the money and the position go hand in hand. The Chinese congress people either own or control vast businesses themselves. So it would be more like Buffet, Gates and company all running the country. No need to do any campaigning or kiss a lot of ass. Meet once a month for 6 hours and call it good.
The real money and power brokers that run the US hide behind lobbyist and PACs. Apparently the average US citizen thinks that congress works for them and is too busy arguing over gay rights, guns and abortion to notice who really runs the country.
Sadly when the powers to be in the Clinton Administration got together and decided it was a good idea to export most US jobs, the money that went with those jobs mostly ended up in the hands of the Chinese leadership.
500 billion is a huge sum though. That is about $500 US per citizen in China. The average income of a working Chines person is around $3,500. Total wealth in China is reported at 10 Trillion, so the congress controls directly about 5% of all the wealth. Indirectly it is probably close to 90%.
It is also large in comparison to my home state of Missouri where the total annual income of our 6 million population is just 150 billion.