Many of us in Singapore are transfixed by the events unfolding in Hong Kong. The protests are even more relevant because the city is a mere 4-hour flight away and many people here have connections to the region.
In the midst of the crisis, I can't help but think about the future of China, a country that's often predicted to one day rule the world. It well might, but it's hard to imagine after listening to some of our Chinese students.
I try to make it a habit not to discuss politics with teenagers, but I can't stop them from sharing their candid insights.
In particular, I'm intrigued by a Chinese boy I'll call Wong who seems to know more about popular American culture than me.
The student can't get enough of American music, movies, and, especially, television. Last week, Wong spent nearly an hour filling me in on all the details of the first four seasons of the popular drama The Walking Dead.
Today, I asked Wong how he manages to watch so many US programs in China and how he's able to access web sites like Facebook that are blocked by the Chinese government in his homeland. Over the weekend, China also blocked Instagram, a popular photo-sharing ap, in an attempt to prevent citizens from viewing images from Hong Kong.
"It's no problem," he said. Wong told me there are many technological devices available that enable Chinese to surf restricted sites, so the flow of information might be slowed down but can't be stopped.
It doesn't surprise me that Wong would know ways around censorship. After all, he knew when the iPhone 6 was set to launch in both America and China, long before I did.
Ever since I met him, Wong has been reiterating his dream of attending a university in the United States and then staying behind to either live in California or New York City.
The key to any country's long-term prospects and prosperity is winning the hearts and minds of its young people. After talking with Wong and others, it appears that the leadership in China has an uphill battle.
And the kids aren't alone.
A survey released this month by Barclay's showed that nearly half of wealthy Chinese plan to move within five years. The number one reason cited - better educational and employment opportunities for their kids.
China is still an economic and military powerhouse, but the voices of the young and many of their parents seem to be telling us that it might be a bit premature to anoint China as Master of the Universe.
Note: I downloaded the above photo from the free media repository on Wikimedia Commons. I wish to credit the author 流璃
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