Rising Flames
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:30
PETER sits on a sofa, smartphone in hand, scrolling through his Facebook feed.
PETER (V.O.): The Trade War between the US and China is intensifying.
Peter checks the Hang Seng Index on Yahoo!Finance.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Despite all this tension, the Hong Kong stock market is reacting positively.
Peter gets up and starts pacing around the room, deep in thought.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The market can be patriotic too. Despite the risk, patriots continue to buy.
Peter returns to the sofa.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): China's response to this Trade War is exactly what I'd do if I were in authority. Stand firm and protect China's legitimate interests.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've exhausted my cash buying in when the trade war started; but I won't sell.
Act 2
INT. NOODLES SHOP - 14:45
Peter is having Rice Noodles in Soup with Shrimp and Chive Dumplings.
PETER (V.O.): Having maintained my Duolingo streaks and swum in Silverstrand Bay, I'm rewarding myself with an afternoon tea set.
Peter browses through his Facebook on his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the 19th century, while Western countries embraced innovation, many in China continued to revere their emperors.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Seventy years ago, I was born in Hong Kong, which was a British colony at the time.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the 19th century, China had a trade surplus with Britain, as it exported tea, silk, and porcelain but imported little.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The British solution to this trade imbalance was to export opium from British India to China, leading to widespread addiction of Chinese.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Government's attempt to suppress the opium trade led to military confrontations, sparking two Sino-British Opium Wars.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As China lost the Wars, Hong Kong was ceded to Britian.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But by race, I'm Chinese, and English is a foreign language for me.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was delighted when Hong Kong rejoined the motherland in 1997.
Peter drinks Chrysanthenmum Honey Tea.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hong Kong is my home and I've never intended to live in another country.
INT. STUDY - 16:00
The TV is on. Peter is watching a documentary on China's atomic bomb program.
PETER (V.O.): Influenced by the geopolitical landscape of the Cold Car, the Chinese goal of developing nuclear weapons was to enhance national security.
Watching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): China successfully detonated its first atomic bomb on Oct 16, 1964, at the Lop Nur testing site, making it the 5th country (after the US, the USSR, Britian & France) to possess nuclear weapons.
Watching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): China adopted a policy of nuclear deterrence, maintaining a relatively small but credible nuclear arsenal aimed at deterring potential aggressors.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Cold War between the USSR and the US, along with their respective allies was from the late 1940s until the early 1990s.
Recallng.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 2018, the US initiated its Trade War against China.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This year, US has waged World Trade War by imposing tariffs on its trading partners.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope that the current world war on financial matters wouldn't lead to any cold or hot wars.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:15
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Rising Flames..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): The challenges China face today are just winds fueling the flames of Chinese innovation. Like a phoenix, China will transform - stronger than ever.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Patriotism isn't just a feeling. It's a powerful force driving Chinese forward. It's the flame in Chinese hearts, reminding Chinese of their duty to their country and their responsibility to future generations.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): China's journey isn't about the Chinese vision and determination, The Chinese strategy is igniting a brighter future for all humanity.
FADE OUT
END
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