Winners and losers in patriot games
It wasn't surprising that China's Olympic stars faced political heat during their visit to city
Visiting mainland Olympic gold medallists are usually hailed as heroes, admired as role models and greeted warmly, even by the always critical press.
They got a big, warm welcome last week, but this time they had to contend with a press that was more prickly than usual.
When they arrived they were challenged on political issues rather than sports. The questions included whether the visit was to promote patriotism or was a "soft sell" for the controversial national education programme.
The athletes avoided touching on national education directly but did say things like it would be good to tell the younger generation about the persistence and hard work behind the medals.
Visiting mainland medallists from the 2004 Athens' Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games didn't face such hardball questions. Testing the political stance of elite athletes was not on the agenda.
The change of media focus could be a sign of a shift in public sentiment or reflect a change in the media's interest in this kind of fanfare, since people are becoming more worried about the growing mainland influence in Hong Kong.
A person familiar with the visiting team told the they were aware of the political atmosphere in the city and had been well briefed and told to focus on the spirit of sport. They were told to keep answers short to avoid any slip of the tongue.
With their carefully crafted replies and friendly encounters with fans and spectators, was there, after all, a hidden agenda behind the visit? The athletes brought with them the pride of China's achievement in sports. The display of their skills and talents drew admiration. The visit was therefore viewed as a better illustration of a positive image of China than those controversial teaching materials on national education.
However, a more powerful mainland China - be it in sports, economics or more general influence - poses a dilemma for Hong Kong: will the future be more "one country" or more "two systems"? This persistent question explains why in recent years we have seen growing tension between the mainland and Hong Kong. The latest concern was triggered by the unilateral announcement by Shenzhen that its more than 4 million non-permanent residents could apply for multi-entry permits to Hong Kong from September 1.
The announcement came on the second day of the athletes' visit. It was, of course, a coincidence. But to some it sent a subtle message that Hong Kong is losing its bargaining power in cross-border matters. And that touched a nerve with many. Hong Kong reporters felt obliged to pose hard questions to these national heroes and heroines since they arrived at a time when the city is in a heated debate over national education.
To many Hongkongers, patriotism means to better understand the bright and dark sides of the country so that valuable lessons can be drawn for our next generations to tell right from wrong. That is what national education is supposed to be.
The athletes tried their best to show how strong China is, at least in sports. But the effort would have been futile if they were seen as propaganda tools and shielded from sensitive questions. Asking and answering tough questions is a way to build the trust we all need.
