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  • Have you ever been asked by your Chinese friend,

  • "What is your zodiac sign?"

  • Don't think they are making small talk.

  • If you say, "I'm a Monkey,"

  • they immediately know

  • you are either 24, 36, 48 or 60 years old.

  • (Laughter)

  • Asking a zodiac sign is a polite way of asking your age.

  • By revealing your zodiac sign, you are also being evaluated.

  • Judgments are being made about your fortune or misfortune,

  • your personality, career prospects

  • and how you will do in a given year.

  • If you share you and your partner's animal signs,

  • they will paint a picture in their mind about your private life.

  • Maybe you don't believe in the Chinese zodiac.

  • As a quarter of the world population is influenced by it,

  • you'd be wise to do something about that.

  • So what is the Chinese zodiac, exactly?

  • Most Westerners think of Greco-Roman zodiac,

  • the signs divided into 12 months.

  • The Chinese zodiac is different.

  • It's a 12-year cycle labeled with animals,

  • starting with a Rat and ending with a Pig,

  • and has no association with constellations.

  • For example, if you were born in 1975, you are a Rabbit.

  • Can you see your zodiac sign there?

  • Our Chinese ancestors constructed a very complicated theoretical framework

  • based on yin and yang, the five elements and the 12 zodiac animals.

  • Over thousands of years,

  • this popular culture has affected people's major decisions,

  • such as naming, marriage, giving birth and attitude towards each other.

  • And some of the implications are quite amazing.

  • The Chinese believe certain animals get on better than the others.

  • So parents choose specific years to give birth to babies,

  • because they believe the team effort by the right combination of animals

  • can give prosperity to families.

  • We even refer to the zodiac when entering into romantic relations.

  • I'm a Pig; I should have perfect romance with Tigers, Goats and Rabbits.

  • Chinese people believe some animals are natural enemies.

  • As a Pig, I need to be careful with a Snake.

  • Raise your hand if you are a Snake.

  • Let's have a chat later.

  • (Laughter)

  • We believe some animals are luckier than the others,

  • such as the Dragon.

  • Unlike the Western tradition,

  • the Chinese Dragon is a symbol for power, strength and wealth.

  • It's everyone's dream to have a Dragon baby.

  • Jack Ma's parents must have been very proud.

  • And they are not the only ones.

  • In 2012, the Year of the Dragon,

  • the birthrate in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

  • increased by five percent.

  • That means another one million more babies.

  • With a traditional preference to baby boys,

  • the boy-girl ratio that year was 120 to 100.

  • When those Dragon boys grow up,

  • they will face much more severe competition in love and job markets.

  • According to the BBC and the Chinese government's press release,

  • January 2015 saw a peak of Cesarean sections.

  • Why?

  • That was the last month for the Year of the Horse.

  • It's not because they like horses so much,

  • it's because they try to avoid having unlucky Goat babies.

  • (Laughter)

  • If you are a Goat, please don't feel bad.

  • Those are Goat babies.

  • They don't look like losers to me.

  • (Laughter)

  • Tiger is another undesirable animal,

  • due to its volatile temperament.

  • Many Chinese regions saw a sharp decline of birthrate

  • during those years.

  • Perhaps one should consider zodiac in reverse,

  • as those Tiger and Goat babies will face much less competition.

  • Maybe they are the lucky ones.

  • I went through the Forbes top 300 richest people in the world,

  • and it's interesting to see

  • the most undesirable two animals, the Goat and Tiger,

  • are at the top of the chart,

  • even higher than the Dragon.

  • So maybe we should consider,

  • maybe it's much better to have less competition.

  • One last but interesting point:

  • many Chinese people make their investment decisions

  • based on the zodiac sign index.

  • Although the belief and tradition of the zodiac sign

  • has been over thousands of years,

  • the trend of using it in making major decisions

  • did not really happen until the past few decades.

  • Our ancestors were very busy surviving poverty, drought,

  • famine, riot, disease and civil war.

  • And finally, Chinese people have the time, wealth and technology

  • to create an ideal life they've always wanted.

  • The collective decision made by 1.3 billion people

  • has caused the fluctuation in economics and demand on everything,

  • from health care and education to property and consumer goods.

  • As China plays such an important role in the global economy and geopolitics,

  • the decisions made based on the zodiac and other Chinese traditions

  • end up impacting everyone around the world.

  • Are there any Monkeys here?

  • 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

  • Monkeys are clever, curious, creative and mischievous.

  • Thank you.

  • (Applause)

Have you ever been asked by your Chinese friend,

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