"Certainly," he agrees. "It's very disturbing-- I'm sure you've been monitoring the same newsfeeds and financial reports that I've seen."

"There are those, of course, who seem to think that it's all part of the zì rán guī lǜ, the accepted way of things, and that matters will settle out soon enough."

A delicate, precisely considered pause.

"And then there are those who are calling for change."