By 2015 there will be 500 million people under age 30 in China – roughly the population of the entire European Union. Ge Dingkun, a professor of entrepreneurship at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, says young people, barely a generation removed from Chairman Mao’s strict communism, are embracing entrepreneurship.
A survey by CreditSuisse showed the incomes of twenty-somethings in China grew 34% in the past three years, the largest growth of any age group.
Some examples of Forbes selections:
Zafka Zhang, 30, founder of China Youthology, a market-research company specializing in China’s youth culture.
Jian Shuo Wang, 33. In 2005 he launched Kijiji, eBay’s classified-advertising business in China, now with listings in more than 300 cities.
Si Shen, 28, founder of PapayaMobile which turns mobile phones into social networks. She created software which lets users play games, share pictures and send instant messages. 3 million registered users.
Robin Chan, 32, founder of XPD Media the leading international social-gaming publisher in China. Published Medical Mayhem: in less than two months it attracted more than two million users.
Shawn Cheng, 30, co-founder of hoopCHINA.com, the largest sports-related website in China.
Sean Leow, 28, founder of Neocha, a social networking site for musicians, artists and writers.
Marine Ma, 33, founder of BabySpace, a website where parents can share child-rearing advice, shop for baby items and plan for early education. 2 million registered users.
Ye Tian, 29, executive producer, produced Trail of the Panda, made by Disney in China and distributed to other countries.
Yan Zhang, 29, co-founder of Meiloo.com, which helps people find elective health care services in China
They were chosen by Forbes which has a fair record in spotting winners.