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  • FRONTLINE's China in the Red
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Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Miranda Hong describes her generation of Chinese as "confused"?
2. Why do you think the Chinese government has nicknamed the young people coming home from abroad "returning turtles?"
   
   
   • How do you think their work or educational experiences abroad have affected their ambitions in China?
   • Why do you think these young people have returned to China?
3. In what ways do you think Ben Wu, the entrepreneur launching the Internet cafe, is representative of the "new" China?
4. What do you think are important historical, social or economic factors that have shaped the outlook of the Chinese generation profiled in the film?
   
   
   • What do you think are important historical, social or economic factors that have shaped earlier generations in China?
   • What differences or similarities do you see between these two generations?
5. Why do you think that several of the profiled characters have turned to religion or spiritual outlets?
6. Lu Dong likens Chinese ambition to a poor kid going into a candy store and grabbing too much candy because he has been hungry for so long.
   
   
   • Is this an apt analogy about China?
   • Propose another analogy to describe Chinese ambition.
7. To what extent are the struggles of the rapper, Wang Xiaolei, unique as a Chinese artist?
   
   
   • Do you think that his life is typical of artists elsewhere? Explain your position.
8. Who do you think is the happiest of the young people profiled in this documentary and why?
9. Why do you think FRONTLINE producers named this program Young & Restless In China?
   
   
   • Do you think this is an appropriate title? Why or why not?
   • What other titles would aptly describe this program?