SCIO briefing on 'Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems' white paper
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 30, 2021
Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group:
What roles will the white paper play in the education of Hong Kong's young people? What new insights can they obtain from the white paper? Thank you.
Zhi Zhenfeng:
Those are really good questions. If the young people are strong, the country will be strong. Young people are the future of Hong Kong and the country, and the hope of the nation. Only by focusing on facts can we discern right from wrong. The history of Hong Kong's democratic progress is an important part of the history of Hong Kong's return to China. By reading the white paper, the origin and development of Hong Kong's democracy and the One Country, Two Systems policy can be understood, and the truth of history can be restored. This will teach Hong Kong's young people that the CPC and the Chinese government designed, created, safeguarded, and advanced Hong Kong's system of democracy and anti-China, destabilizing elements in Hong Kong are spoilers and saboteurs of Hong Kong democracy. The white paper will help Hong Kong youth gain a full understanding of the relationship between One Country and Two Systems and develop their accurate understanding of history so as to strengthen the education work concerning patriotism and national conditions.
The white paper should be the antidote to fallacies. If you have a 13-year-old daughter, will you allow her to take to the streets to join demonstrations with those rioters who set fire, rampantly smash facilities, and commit robbery and physical assault? Do you agree with those so-called demonstrations? Will you feel relieved if your child is associated with those people? Meanwhile, since Hong Kong's return to China, anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong continue to promote the so-called "Umbrella Movement protests" and the 2019 turmoil. We can hardly imagine that those who promoted these ideas will love Hong Kong and uphold true democracy. It is impossible. Anti-China, destabilizing forces propagate terrorism in the guise of democracy, distort the real meaning of democracy and freedom, and poison young people's values to make them become victims of secessionist sentiment, black violence, and mutual destruction. So we must use the white paper as the antidote to clarify facts.
In this context, the white paper should be a "textbook" for Hong Kong's young people. The white paper has sowed the seeds of the correct views of history and democracy in Hong Kong. As the masters of the country and Hong Kong, Hong Kong's young people will become more reasonable, increase in confidence, advocate morals, and proceed with determination by studying the white paper. The Hong Kong society can combine the contents of the white paper with national security education and national education in schools, compile textbooks, adolescence literature, and teacher's training programs based on the contents of the white paper. It can also work with local social organizations to carry out knowledge competitions to enhance the enthusiasm of young people to study the white paper.
I think that Hong Kong's education, journalism, and literature and art sectors, especially those providing culture and entertainment products to young people, should all take action to help Hong Kong people, including the youth, to correctly understand the relationship between the One Country, Two Systems policy and Hong Kong's democracy, and create positive, healthy, quality works to realize the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong and advance the democracy process in Hong Kong. Thank you.
Han Dayuan:
I want to add something. As a university teacher, I am very concerned about the participation of young people in Hong Kong in this election system. As Professor Zhi said just now, I think the future of Hong Kong is closely related to every young person in Hong Kong. Therefore, it is crucial for the young generation in Hong Kong to care about the development of their country and the development of Hong Kong, including the political development. Young people are most concerned with housing, employment, and career growth opportunities. Therefore, to help them develop and grow, both the central government and the SAR government have provided a lot of policy support, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development plan. As a university teacher, I maintain frequent contact with young people. As far as I know, the number of young people in Hong Kong who have visited the mainland is much less than I thought. I hope that relevant departments can take adequate measures to encourage more young people to come to the mainland themselves. I believe that coming out in person to see what the mainland is really like will make a difference.
Western countries use democracy and human rights as a pretext for criticizing China. I hope that our young people in Hong Kong can think independently. Is what some Hong Kong scholars call human rights and democracy natural? Do we need to reflect on the concept of democracy defined by Western countries? Many opinions have been distorted. In the past two years since the COVID-19 outbreak, people worldwide have been reflecting on what true democracy is. China's democracy practice recorded in a white paper titled "China: Democracy That Works" exemplifies the respect for democracy, a typical value of humanity, and distinctive Chinese characteristics. Created by the CPC and the Chinese people, China's democracy is in accord with its national conditions and realities. Protecting human rights is the most essential and fundamental principle of democracy, and putting people's lives, health, and safety first is of the highest value when safeguarding human rights. In the face of the pandemic, we must view objectively which country and political party truly regards people's lives, health, and safety as the highest value, and saves every life at all costs. On the contrary, the country that convened the so-called "democracy summit" has already reached over 800,000 coronavirus-related deaths, exceeding its death toll during World War II. A country that talks about democracy and human rights should have the ability to protect the life and health of its citizens. Therefore, the democratic practices, including the One Country, Two Systems policy of China, a country led by the CPC and home to one-fifth of the world's population, can serve as an experience for global democracy and human rights progress. I hope that everyone, especially the young people in Hong Kong, can think about democracy and human rights independently and care about and follow the democratic development of the country. The country's democracy and human rights development will give new connotations to the One Country, Two Systems policy. On that front, we should be full of confidence and expectation. Thank you.
Wang Zhenmin:
During the 2019 turmoil in Hong Kong, I once said at a conference that we are all concerned about our children eating unhealthy food, but few parents care about our children learning wrong knowledge. We have seen what Hong Kong children have learned in the past few years. They learned about the distorted history of Hong Kong's democracy, full of lies and rumors. The white paper provides an authentic textbook on Hong Kong's history and democracy, worthy of careful study by Hong Kong young people. It is crucial to understand the true history of one's own country. If there is something wrong with the stomach, taking some medicine will do, but what if the false idea poisons the minds? It would be difficult to find the cure. The education of Hong Kong's youth matters. Nevertheless, we are full of confidence in Hong Kong's democracy and the future of Hong Kong. I firmly believe that the prospects are bright for democracy in Hong Kong, just as the white paper said. Thank you.
Shou Xiaoli:
Thank you, experts and friends from the media. Today's briefing is concluded. Goodbye, everyone.
Translated and edited by Huang Shan, Wang Yanfang, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhang Junmian, Mi Xingang, Wang Yiming, Zhang Rui, Li Huiru, Zhang Jiaqi, Wang Wei, Li Xiao, Liu Sitong, Chen Xia, Zhou Jing, He Shan, Ma Yujia, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Yuan Fang, Liu Jianing, Duan Yaying, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, Drew Pittock and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
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