Democracy activists should stop confronting Beijing and take an interest in patriotic education, according to China’s top man in Hong Kong.
Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Hong Kong liaison office, made it pretty clear at a reception on Wednesday – which was attended by 4,000 people, including Chief Executive CY Leung and former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa – that his bosses on the mainland are so over all that protest crap.
“We could not allow any attempt to reject the central authority’s jurisdiction over Hong Kong under the pretext of a high degree of autonomy, to advocate ‘Hong Kong independence,’ or even to overtly confront with the central government through illegal ways,” Zhang said, according to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, who incidentally follows Japanese porn sites on Twitter.
He also touched on a rather touchy subject, and suggested that Beijing is interested in fostering a renewed drive of patriotic education in the 852.
“Priority should be given to the history, culture and national conditions of China in the education of the young people so that they could fully understand that the destiny and future of Hong Kong are closely connected to those of the motherland,” he said.
Despite Zhang’s infallible logic and dreamy, dreamy eyes, however, Democratic lawmaker Emily Lau was not convinced.
She said Zhang’s comments were “improper and inappropriate” and illustrated China’s clear interest in interfering with Hong Kong affairs.
Photo: Guccio via Flickr
