How the super-connected youth of China and America can build bridges
Austin Lowe calls on the millennials of both major countries to step up and work for positive change, not just at home but also for the bilateral relationship
What is the common element that will determine the futures of these two countries, and in turn the future of their relations? I and those of my generation are called millennials, and we have been characterised as entitled, lazy, narcissistic, entrepreneurial, well-educated and risk-averse, to name but a few traits. But I would prefer to call our generation, along with the technological tools at our disposal, the checks and balances of the 21st century.
Hong Kong youth feel powerless in politics
While we certainly have our differences, American and Chinese millennials are much closer to each other than previous generations were, in our shared use of social media and access to the free flow of information, at least in the ways that our respective countries allow it. In China, more than 700 million people now access the internet. It is this very tide of voices that has enabled the rise of supposedly fringe political candidates like Trump and Bernie Sanders in the US, and that resists censorship and challenges the government to act in China. Access to social media platforms allows us to question our leaders and build support for political movements. In both countries, political leaders must recognise the opinions and demands of this vocal population.
From Brexit to the US presidential election and beyond, prepare for the clash of generations
Another option is apathy, which is no solution.