Young adults are regularly vilified as overly sensitive and anxious, but their belief the world is unsafe may just be realistic given the post-9/11 environment they’ve grown up in.

At the heart of China’s economic take-off during the last four decades is a fragile equilibrium between economic reforms and one-party rule. The communist party has demonstrated pragmatism and adaptability – but just at a time when China seeks to fully enter the knowledge economy and participate in global markets, it has put the brake on further reforms.