Belt and road scholarships delayed after bumpy ride
Controversial “One Belt, One Road” scholarship scheme delayed until the next term of the Legislative Council
Amid opposition from both the pan-democratic and pro-establishment camps in the legislature, the Leung Chun-ying administration has backed down and decided to delay a controversial “One Belt, One Road” scholarship scheme until the next term of the Legislative Council.
The move, announced yesterday, will see the scheme delayed by at least three months.
It is a pet project of Leung’s that will offer up to 100 scholarships to top students from belt and road countries to come to Hong Kong to study.
Leung had wanted Legco’s Finance Committee to approve the project quickly.
But in a statement yesterday, a government spokesman said: “Having considered that there are still many items relating to people’s livelihoods to be processed by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, the government has decided to submit its injection proposal for establishing the ‘Belt and Road’ Scholarship in the next term of the Finance Committee for its deliberation.”
Pan-democrat legislator Ip Kin-yuen, who represents the education sector in the legislature, welcomed the government move.
“There is no urgency for the scholarship scheme. And the objective of the scheme is not clear either,” said Ip, who has called for more public discussion on the proposal.
At the centre of the controversy is the government plan to seek approval from the Finance Committee for the proposed injection of HK$1 billion into the scholarship fund.
According to the government, it will use the investment income generated to offer up to 100 scholarships to students from belt and road countries to come to the city, and for Hong Kong students to study in belt and road countries.
Leung highlighted the importance of Hong Kong complementing the belt and road strategy in his policy address this year.
President Xi Jinping unveiled the idea in 2013 for a new Silk Road economic belt linking China with Europe, as well as for a new maritime Silk Road connecting China with Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe.
Leung has pushed for the scholarship scheme but it prompted pan-democrats to ask whether the plan was all part of a campaign by Leung to seek a second term in office.
Some pan-democrats have threatened to resort to filibustering to block the scheme if it is tabled at the Finance Committee.
The pro-establishment camp has also said there is no urgency for the scheme.
In an education panel meeting earlier this month, Starry Lee Wai-king, chairman of the pro-government Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, questioned if the scholarships would affect the higher education of local students.
Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim had argued the scholarships would help young people with their studies and knowledge of different cultures in different regions, and that it would also help local universities become more internationalised.
