I paused for a second to realise the potential of what that would do. An open Internet for China, over 1 billion people with access to different accounts of history, like Tiananmen Square.

“Would there be a revolt or an uprising if Chinese people learned about alternative accounts to history, like Tiananmen Square?”

“The only situation Chinese people were to revolt was if the economy collapsed. Chinese people are very practical but if basic life was destroyed, the other things would follow.”

The trade war between Washington and Beijing is a rolling international breaking story, with reports that the economy in China is at its slowest growth since 1993.

“What is the feeling like inside China, what is the reaction to this trade war?”

“You know, the price of pork has gone very high and we are worried about that. The trade war is a factor behind that. Most of the Chinese people are very worried; there are fewer people out at restaurants for supper. Menu prices are rising very quickly since the trade war.”

Christopher goes on:

“The price for a house, they were not like this before … you know the prices have always been high. Many people are still being silent about this. There are still many rich people in China but most of us are struggling. Small businesses are feeling the effects, it is a difficult time and everyone knows that. It’s a fact the economy is slowing down. Chinese people don’t know what really is happening here in Hong Kong, but they know ‘something’ is going on.”

The numbers had increased around us. More protesters were turning up to voice their support. The crowds start chanting louder, which naturally broke the momentum of our conversation. Christopher was keen to talk by then. He felt comfortable speaking to me, and it was clear he wanted to talk about the issues despite concern in his voice.

“You know, Chinese people are renowned for ‘secret talk’ like whispering. We have a way to find out what is going on. It is not the majority but in the big cities, people think that something is wrong here (in Hong Kong). If you’re living in a rural area you only have one source of news, the CCTV (China Central Television) that has over one billion viewers. Most people (in China) think the U.S.A is the ‘big boss’ behind the protests in Hong Kong.”