Lithuania Advises Throwing Away Chinese Phones

 

Lithuania found Xiaomi phones have censorship capabilities

Lithuania has an adverse reaction to Chinese phones, so much so it could erupt into a diplomatic row after its defence ministry has advised residents to avoid buying Chinese phones or even throwing away the ones they have now after a government report found the devices have built-in censorship capabilities.

Xiaomi phones have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as "Free Tibet", "Long live Taiwan independence" or "democracy movement", according to Lithuania's state-run cybersecurity body on Tuesday.

Abukevicius advised throwing out Chinese phones

While the capability of Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G phone software has been turned off for the "European Union region", it can be turned on remotely at anytime, the defence ministry's National Cyber Security Centre said in the report.

"Our recommendation is not to buy new Chinese phones, and to get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible," said Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius when introducing the report.

Xiaomi did not respond to Lithuania's allegations.

The report said the list of terms which could be censored by the Xiaomi phone's system apps, including the default internet browser, currently includes 449 terms in Chinese and is continuously updated. 

"This is important not only to Lithuania, but to all countries which use Xiaomi equipment," the centre said in the report.

The report warns against using any Xiaomi gadgets

Relations soured between Lithuania and China recently after Taiwan announced its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office, causing China to demand Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing, and said it would recall its envoy to Vilnius.

Usually Taiwanese missions in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei to avoid referencing the island itself, which China regards is its own.

Following Lithuania's report, how many other countries will take heed to its warnings regarding Xiaomi phones?

It will be interesting to find out...

Pandemic Woes Continue

Interesting vaccination loopholes pop up as incidents happen

 A few months ago it was discovered that people in Hong Kong signed up to get vaccinated in one place but showed up at another (and got a different vaccine).

This man went to the wrong centre and wrong jab

Now there's a case of a 30-year-old Singaporean man who was inoculated with the Moderna vaccine in his home state, came back to Hong Kong where he works and got two BioNTech jabs so that he could have a local record of being vaccinated in order to go to bars.

Hong Kong authorities have warned they may prosecute the man for his "extremely selfish and irresponsible" behaviour.

Health experts also believe getting four jabs is excessive and could have harmed his health. The incident also revealed a loophole that healthcare workers at the vaccination centre did not ask if he was inoculated overseas. 

Are you ready for pandemic traveling to Europe?

But why would anyone think to ask that question when the vast majority of people have not left Hong Kong in over a year and a half?

There were also concerns that those to administered the jab to him would be in trouble for wasting vaccine resources. This is also excessive, considering there are more than enough vaccines going around since many people still don't want the jab.

It's a curious case and crazy desperation on the Singaporean's part to have a drink in a bar.

Meanwhile there are some people who are so desperate to travel now that a small tour group has flown to Europe with a tour guide. They all did the requisite antibody test and will be in hotel quarantine when they arrive back in Hong Kong.

A small Hong Kong tour group flew to Europe

"It's the first tour package we have had since late February last year when the coronavirus pandemic spread, and borders closed everywhere," said Miramar Travel general manager Alex Lee Chun-ting.

He said the company received more than 30 inquiries over the past few days on arranging private travel plans.

"After being stuck in Hong Kong for more than a year, many avid travellers are itching to get out," Lee said. "But now they're looking for experiences away from city centres, they want to stay in boutique hotels instead of chain hotels, and they also want to be closer to nature."

Tours advertised on the Miramar Travel website are priced from HK$12,000 to HK$23,500 (US$1,545-US$3,035) -- about 30 percent more than usual and visiting Germany, Italy and the UK.

Travelers are interested in being closer to nature

However Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory medicine specialist, urged Hongkongers to avoid leisure travel as the Delta variant had spread across Europe, Britain the United States and Southeast Asia, warning returnees may bring the mutation into Hong Kong.

"Based on how the Delta variant has spread, we can't determine the countries which adopted a 'live with the virus' approach have been successful at this point," he said.

Indeed.

Ominous Warnings on Fourth Wave

More pandemic fatigue will set in with the fourth wave coming

University of Hong Kong infectious disease expert Yuen Kwok-yung is sending ominous warnings that social distancing measures may have to stay in place until September 2021, when mass vaccinations will be available.

"If we don't have targeted measures on the coronavirus, then we could see tens of thousands of people infected," he said during a radio program. "Deaths could easily exceed 1,000."

Yuen said loopholes needed to be plugged, and that bars and restaurants need to take infection-control measures more seriously.

Yuen warns there could be 1,000 deaths in HK

Seven new cases were reported today, including two men at the care home for the disabled, two women related to previous cases, and three imported from the Philippines, the Netherlands and Nepal.

Basing his predictions on overseas experiences, Yuen said places like Europe and the United States had large swathes of infections in the winter, as the virus transmits quickly in cooler temperatures.

He cited New York City as an example, that had more than 10,000 deaths and a 20 percent infection rate in its population at the start of the local epidemic .

"What happened in New York can happen in Hong Kong," he said.

Is this too much scare mongering? For starters practically everyone in Hong Kong is wearing a mask. How can this be compared?

Where are police to break up groups at Pier 10?

Today in parts of Hong Kong island there were several groups of police wandering around. However, at the Central ferry piers, they should have been at piers 9 and 10 where lots of partygoers (many of them non-Chinese) were getting on and off boats for the day. They were not social distancing nor were they all wearing masks.

Or is it because the police officers' English skills are so terrible that they can't tell them to mask up? Or fine them for not social distancing at four to a group?

While there are some bars and restaurants not strictly adhering to regulations of four per table, and spreading them 1.5 metres apart, and having separate staff for cleaning tables and serving guests. This is just not possible in many Hong Kong establishments, where they are too small to hire so many people, or they are trying to cut costs.

But Yuen says, "I think they need to understand that if the epidemic continues, all restaurants will lose customers and may have to close. So why don't they do a better job?"

Barriers at restaurants may not be enough

Ouch. Many restaurants are doing the best they can under the circumstances. They don't want to close, but some restrictions are too much.

As for mandatory testing, Yuen doesn't rule it out, and that it may have to come to that if the number of infections surge to the tens of thousands.

"Of course the most ideal situation is it doesn't have to be mandatory," Yuen said. "But if we need to do it, then it should be those who have shown symptoms."

He said government and private clinics found 46 to 84 patients with symptoms for every 10,000 people, while the universal testing scheme only found 42 cases out of 1.78 million.

In addition, Yuen also suggested people should take pictures of the license plates of vehicles they use, record who they socialized with, where and when to help with faster contact tracing.  

His predictions are going to make people even more fatigued about the coronavirus pandemic. 

This is not what any of us thought 2020 would be like at all!

Coronavirus Suvivors Need More Support

Virus survivors may suffer long-term psychological issues like anxiety

The coronavirus may be something we will have to live with for a long time to come, which is a scary thought -- perhaps eventually everyone will be infected one way or another -- and they could be re-infected too, which seems just as worrying.

And now scientists at Chinese University have released a study that found the virus may remain in the gut for a longer period of time, and so people may still be infectious even though nasal and throat swab tests may give them negative results.

Dr Chan says the virus can linger in the gut for a long time

"Our study proved that some discharged patients may still carry infectious stool samples that may transmit the virus to their family members or friends," said Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, chairman of the university's microbiology department. "Thus, they must be alert, maintain good hygiene and disinfect toilets and their homes regularly."

The 2,000 samples used for the study were those collected from children who arrived at the airport from overseas.

"We believe stool [of infected patients] can increase the risk of community transmissions," medical faculty dean Francis Chan Ka-leung said. "We understand [from the study] that infants and young children may have this problem -- they have no symptoms and become hidden transmitters."

Just another thing to worry about...

Having the physical strength and hope to beat the virus is a feat in itself, but dealing with the lasting psychological impact could change people completely. So far over 4,400 people in Hong Kong have recovered from the virus.

Wong was in the hospital for almost a month fighting the virus

A recent article in the newspaper talked to three survivors about how the pandemic has affected them.

One is a freelance translator in her 30s, who caught the virus after being on a cultural exchange trip in Europe in March.

She was hospitalized for 27 days, sharing a 100 sq ft hospital room with another patient and reported the experience was like being in prison.

Although she was discharged in April, the woman, surnamed Wong, still does not feel completely well, mentally or physically.

After she returned home to live with her parents, she didn't go out for a month, fearing crowds and the possibility of reinfection. Wong also says she has developed anxiety disorders, is unable to sleep well, is easily agitated, and washes her hands so frequently that her skin peels.

X-rays show her lungs are functioning normally, but she worries about the long-term effects of the virus.

For a 41-year-old man surnamed Siu, his family of five who live together were all infected with the virus and were all sent to hospital. Siu's father was the first to fall ill, who then infected his wife, himself, his older brother and four-year-old niece.

Wong washed her hands so much that her skin peeled

Siu also spent two weeks in a 100 sq ft hospital room with another patient and constantly worried about his family members who he could not see.

He, his older brother, and niece were all discharged the same day, though his father was discharged two weeks later. It wasn't because his father was physically ill, but because he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the whole experience, while his mother was sent to ICU and needs a ventilator to breathe.

Since his father returned home, Siu has noticed his father's decline in memory, while he himself tries to stay busy even if it's housework to keep his mind off what they have gone through.

His mother is still in the ICU, though the viral count in her body is declining, albeit slowly.

Finally another woman who asked to be named Sophie, said her two-and-a-half year old son caught the virus after their trip to Britain in April. Her husband did not go on the trip.

As her son needed to be hospitalized, Sophie elected to stay with him for three weeks despite the possibility of catching the virus there.

Some survivors may suffer from depression and PTSD

When he was finally discharged, she quarantined at home for another two weeks because she was considered a close contact.

However, no one -- friends or family -- would help look after the son, and with her husband busy at work, Sophie had no choice but to take her son with her to quarantine together in a government-run centre.

"Doctors and nurses took good care of my son in hospital. But the moment we left the hospital, people seemed to be scared of us, and treated us like 'monsters'," she said. "I felt more isolated than ever."

When she came home, she noticed neighbours did not want to take the lift with her, and friends did not contact her to meet up. As a result, she herself stayed at home more, and before she goes out, she checks to see if anyone is outside in the hallway.

Psychiatrist Dr Ivan Mak Wing-chit says coronavirus survivors may suffer mental disorders, PTSD and anxiety.

Dr Mak says if disorders remain, people need to get help

He did a study on the long term psychiatric effects of SARS on survivors 30 months after the outbreak and found one-third had psychiatric disorders, one-quarter had PTSD, and 15.6 percent had depressive disorders.

"Some responses to acute stress are normal and they gradually disappear," he says. "But if they remain for more than one month, and people start losing confidence in their control over their lives, that should be taken seriously."

We must give survivors more sympathy and support to help them heal after such a traumatic event in their lives. They need to know others are caring for them even if it's a text message. To know others are thinking about them can help them get through another day.

Infected Cases Continue to Surge

More people returning to Hong Kong means more possible infected cases

There was a record 48 new cases of people infected by the coronavirus reported today, to a total of 256 confirmed cases, making a lot of people in Hong Kong jump in alarm.

And they should.

Some of the cases were people congregating around Lan Kwai Fong -- I thought that area was not the "in place" anymore -- and another case in the gym chain that I belong to, and several were travelers who returned from overseas like Europe, the United States and Canada.

Dr Chuang reported there were 48 new cases in Hong Kong

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch, warns there could be a lot more cases in the coming days.

"As some of the cases had travel history a few days before... with the incoming number of residents returning to Hong Kong, we may see a high number of cases for at least two weeks or more," she said. 

This is why Hongkongers must not let their guard down, says Professor Gabriel Leung, dean of the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty and a member of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's expert panel on the viral outbreak.

"It is absolutely critical especially as we have this influx of Hong Kong returnees starting from a few days ago and continuing for the next few days. This is the highest risk and we must be extra vigilant."

Dr Leung says Hong Kong is at war with the virus

Leung was concerned the flood of people coming back to the city could spark a second wave of infections, and worse, spread through the community, like what happened in South Korea in the first few weeks of the outbreak there.

"It is absolutely critical especially as we have this influx of Hong Kong returnees starting from a few days ago and continuing for the next few days. This is the highest risk and we must be extra vigilant."

Meanwhile top microbiologist Ho Pak-leung also at HKU, also expects there will be an additional 200 cases in the next two to three weeks. He suggested it would be best to immediately isolate travelers in quarantine, as even sharing bathrooms could spread the virus.

"When one patient passes the virus to two people in the community to form an unknown number of hidden transmission chains, then it's very likely that we will have 400 to 600 cases in the next two weeks," Ho said. If that happened, then "Hong Kong is at war".

Dr Ho predicts there could be an additional 200 cases

Other reported cases today include a man who went to the same gym I go to but different location, and a bank employee who attended a wedding celebration where cocktails were served and she mingled with others.

The fears of cases in Lan Kwai Fong that were reported yesterday had scared off a lot of diners tonight and this weekend, just as there was a campaign called #unitedwedine that kicked off with special, cheaper menus in the hopes of enticing diners back to restaurants.

The next few weeks will be critical and hopefully enough people have gotten the message to stay home not just for their safety, but also the safety of others.

McDonald's Tasting Spree

Ebi or shrimp burger with pineapple in it at McDonald's is very bland

My general rule is to only eat McDonald's once a year -- after I finish the Standard Chartered Marathon 10K race as an excuse to refuel on calories, and it's open early.

However the other day I broke that rule when a friend visiting from the United States was on a mission to try some McDonald's food that you can't find there and I agreed to help try some of it. Why not in the name of research?

Pass on the mango drink with cheese on top

At the giant tablet where you can order food without a human, he was all excited to try several items and luckily we got there just before the lunchtime rush to secure a table too.

After about 10 minutes the food arrived in boxes and wrapped in paper, though the regular waffle fries -- called "potato grids" were already decent on their own. But when we added the extra seasoning of sesame oil flavour, and shook them in a paper bag together, the waffle fries -- oh I mean the potato grids -- were coated in a powder that made it hard to consume, and only when combined with my saliva did I detect the sesame oil taste that was completely redundant.

In terms of burgers we tried the ebi or shrimp burger with pineapple. Intriguing, right? Wrong. There was absolutely no taste in this deep-fried shrimp patty with a piece of lettuce, mayonnaise and canned pineapple. Why would anyone want to eat this?

We also tried the cowboy Angus -- a 130g thick cut Angus patty with a deep-fried onion ring, Cheddar cheese and Emmenthal cheese and shredded lettuce. You need a really big mouth to fit all that in, but it was a burger masquerading to be something fancy, but in reality it was hardly impressive. There was too much going on that the flavours cancelled themselves out.

Definitely go for the deep-fried chicken wings!

McDonald's is trying to catch up with the bubble tea craze minus the boba or black pearls and offering cheese toppings -- sourced from Europe and New Zealand -- on different flavoured drinks, like soy milk matcha tea, salted caramel latte, and long black. My friend ordered a mango one and it arrived with a thick white foam on top with an artful design of hearts in mango sauce.

But alas, I can only say the same refrain -- no taste! As we were drinking this without a straw, it took several gulps to even get to the mango part, and even then there was no mango taste! It's so visually misleading.

However our visit to the fast-food joint was redeemed by the chicken wings, deep-fried of course. Luckily we could order two pieces, one drumstick and one winglet. The outside was crispy, and surprisingly moist inside.

So I'm definitely done with McDonald's for the rest of the year. The lesson learned is to stick to the classics -- but maybe with a chicken wing on the side.

What the Premier Didn't Mention

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang addressing the media today in a press conference

Ah, the National People's Congress is over for another year.

Premier Li Keqiang held a press conference, where he was supposedly open to answering all questions from the media -- provided they were screened first.

Foreign media had to submit questions in advance, and only the ones that were approved were allowed to be asked -- if they were chosen in the huge crowd.

Hundreds of journalists were in the room listening to Li

And domestic media are typically given pieces of paper with questions on them, usually softball ones to give the premier a chance to talk about things he wanted to discuss.

But what would stop someone from asking a hard-hitting question -- other than probably being banned from the NPC forever -- at least it would get the premier to actually address an issue that everyone wants to know.

And so from reading news reports of today's press conference, it sounds like a lot of issues were not addressed, making people wonder if the government cares about their welfare, or is actually tackling the country's socio-economic challenges.

Li did not bring how China is tackling air pollution

For example in the past three years, Li answered questions about the environment and what the government was doing to curb pollution, but this year the topic was not raised, even though air quality has been so bad this past year.

This year was also the first time issues about the property market were not addressed either, as prices rise far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Perhaps Li could not think of another way to spin the story...

While he answered questions about economic form and the need to streamline bureaucracy, the massive problem of how to further streamline state-owned enterprises was not mentioned. It's probably too explosive a powder keg to even begin to delve into...

No talk of China's growing presence in the South China Sea

When it came to foreign relations, he did not talk about China's relationship with Africa or Europe, and also its growing presence in the South China Sea. What is going on with that island that China seems to be making bigger and bigger...? And didn't Beijing have good relations with African countries? What happened there?

Human rights is not a topic that is often mentioned at these press conferences, but sometimes previous premiers have talked about it on occasion. Not this time, despite blatant human rights abuses against Uighurs and Tibetans...

It sounds like an extremely tightly controlled press conference, and perhaps even Li could not say much either, which is why he ended it at exactly the two-hour mark, including translations into English. So in the end it was probably one hour's worth of questions.

Thus wraps up another year, with China watchers having to further examine their tea leaves to try to figure out where the country is going.

Dragging HK to "Belt and Road"

One Belt, One Road is Xi Jinping's plan to create trade links with 65 countries

Yesterday Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying delivered his last policy address and a good chunk of the two-hour speech was devoted to the "One Belt, One Road" trade strategy that was initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Leung, who has abbreviated it to "Belt and Road", mentioned these two words an unprecedented 48 times. It was much more than "education" (31), "innovation" (30), "sustainable" (12) and "recycling" (0).

What is this "Belt and Road" you ask?

Xi presented this initiative in 2013 and was highlighted in the 13th five-year plan last year. The proposal is to develop two trade routes -- the New Silk Road linking China with Europe, and the Maritime Silk Road linking China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe.

Leung wants Hong Kong to take join One Belt, One Road

As a result it will span 65 countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

With links so expansive, Leung thinks Hong Kong should get in on the game. Or rather because he hopes to be re-elected next year, he wants to be in Xi's good books.

As a result, Leung is establishing a "Belt and Road" office with a committee of which he will be chairman in order to determine strategies on how Hong Kong can take advantage of these new trade links.

He has allocated HK$200 million for the professional service sector to build ties and cooperation with One Belt, One Road countries, and there will be tax incentives for those companies that set up treasury units in Hong Kong.

Not only are Leung's plans business-oriented, but education-related too. He wants students from these countries to come to Hong Kong to study, while educating local students about One Belt, One Road through study and cultural exchanges.

Is this the best Leung and his team can think of in terms of taking advantage of the One Belt, One Road strategy?

There are already stories from entrepreneurs trying to break into central Asia and having a lot of trouble doing business there.

Tom Lee, a product engineer for an electronics company, travelled to Kazakhstan in 2014 in a trip organized by the Trade Development Council. He was hoping to explore opportunities there and reached a US$30,000 deal with a local company, only to find it failed to pay up.

"Its business model is hard for Hong Kong companies to understand, and the customs system is extremely complicated," he said. Language is also a barrier. As a result Lee said his company was more focused on traditional markets like Europe and North America.

So how will Leung be able to help companies overcome these hurdles? And the committee is going to spend how many months and how much money to figure this out?

And educationally, what can students get out of this strategy? What is there for them in central Asia and Southeast Asia? Does Leung mean universities here will start providing courses on learning these languages or will there be lessons on Islam?

One parent commented, "I don't understand why the government is so generous to others but not willing to change the quality of our own education."

Point taken.

In the end it all sounds really vague, and one wonders how much he can really achieve on this initiative in one year.

Even more ironic is that people in Hong Kong aren't enthusiastic about this project, and yet Leung insists on dragging us into this plan.

While it makes sense for Hong Kong to try to find some way to benefit from these potentially big trade links, who's got an appetite for some adventure?

As Hong Kong goes through rocky economic times, most people are too scared of risking too much and would rather be close to home and bet on a sure thing.

Leung just might be biting off much more than he can chew.

Fact of the Day: How Women get Rich

There are some very wealthy women in Hong Kong...

What's the easiest way for women to get rich in Hong Kong?

Inherit the money from their husbands or fathers.

That's according to a report by Swiss bank UBS, which found about 90 percent of its wealth management arm's top female clients in Hong Kong have at least US$1 billion in this way, while the other 10 percent were self made.

Francis Liu, managing director at UBS Wealth Management said: "Within these clients in Hong Kong, we frequently see female billionaires concentrated in businesses that operate in the real estate and consumer sectors."

The bank, which co-authored the report, found the number of female billionaires in China is rising on the mainland in particular because of the now-defunct one-child policy.

"We see numerous families in which the only child, being a daughter, inherited the family business," said Liu. "In a number of heavyweight listed companies in China, daughters of founders and business leaders have inherited the reins."

The report said Asian women who were billionaires in US dollars were on average 53 years old, whereas in the United States it was 59, and 65 in Europe.

Around the world, the number of female billionaires has increased from 834 in 2010 to 1,347 last year, accounting for 11 percent of the total number of billionaires.

No wonder women in Hong Kong are keen to get rich quick...

Worry about the Next Generation

Who's going to take over Dalian Wanda if Wang Jianlin's son won't?

Economists must find it interesting to watch how businesses develop in China, as private companies only began running again three decades ago.

As we have seen, some family-owned businesses have flourished spectacularly, the best example of which is Dalian Wanda run by Wang Jianlin, who recently purchased World Triathlon Corporation, which runs Ironman Triathlon Races for $650 million.

However, Wang's son, Sicong, has already said he does not want to take over the cinema and property conglomerate.

Wang Sicong's dog has two Apple watches. Does yours?

Maybe he's too busy playing with his dog, whom he recently purchased two Apple watches for each front paw.

However Wang Sicong is not alone in refusing to join the family firm. A study has found that only one in five of the mainland's second generation is keen to take over, which may spell trouble in the next decade.

The majority of second generation rich or fuerdai (富二代) would like to start their own business, while the rest would rather take traditional career paths.

The research was conducted by Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, and led by its associate dean, Professor Jin Li. The school is also launching a program in conjunction with the University of Oxford and Harvard Business School, aimed at executives of family businesses in China.

"Chinese family businesses are at a historic turning point," says Eric Thun, an associate professor in Chinese business studies at Oxford. "At the same time as confronting the challenges in the domestic market that are common to all Chinese firms, many are making leadership transitions from the first to second generation."

The study covered two years, based on interviews with more than 500 family-owned Chinese firms. Only 20.5 percent of those surveyed expressed an interest in following in their parents' footsteps, while nearly 70 percent wanted to start their own business; the rest wanted a traditional job like a doctor or lawyer.

Wang Sicong has set up his own gaming company

This latest finding spells trouble for China's economy because family-run businesses play a major role, with more than 85 percent of the country's private companies are family-owned. By July last year 747 of these firms were listed on the mainland stock exchange.

It's also an interesting contrast to family-run businesses in Europe and North America that have gone through several generations; but if not many second generation kids in China don't want to take over the family business, what's going to happen?

As expected, the profiles of the fuerdai reveal more than half of them have studied abroad, two-thirds of which majored in business management -- knowledge that would serve them well in guiding the family firm forward.

However, the study found many appeared to lack self confidence in dealing with businessmen from their parents' generation as well as senior staff within their family firm's management.

Another important issue is the kids feel too much pressure in living up to their parents' legacies, which could threaten business stability, the report said. This is the opposite thinking of the parents, who are focused on the best interests of the family and have high expectations for their child -- only child in most cases.

About two in every five entrepreneurs hoped their children would take over the business, while 55 percent said they would allow professionals to manage the company, but still have the family has main shareholders.

It sounds like there is no real nurturing of children to grow into the family business. In many multi-generational family businesses, young children are always encouraged to help out on the weekends or summer holidays, not just to have an extra pair of hands, but to see how they like the work.

And with many studying business management, but instead wanting to do something else may indicate the parents were trying to plan their children's career path without the kid having much say in what they wanted to study in university.

But the intimidation the fuerdai feel in taking over the business is palpable -- Chinese parents always seem to have very high expectations, sometimes to the point of being unrealistic. Wang Sicong has had a habit of shooting his mouth off, making outrageous comments that must leave his father red in the face with embarrassment.

So in this case maybe it's a good thing Sicong has decided not to take the reins of the family business...