A warning against 'seeing different cultures with a narrow perspective’: Legco rejects anti-mainlandisation motion

The home affairs minister has warned against “seeing different cultures with a narrow perspective”, as lawmakers voted down a motion calling for the government to defend Hong Kong’s way of life from “the mainland’s influence”.

However, in conclusion to a 90-minute debate in the Legislative Council this morning, Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah stopped short of commenting on pan-democrats’ concern about graft and language-standard issues in the city.

“It is not conducive for anyone to see different cultures with a narrow perspective or from an exclusive angle. It is not the Hong Kong that we are familiar with,” Lau said. “We should appreciate a multicultural and inclusive Hong Kong.”

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The motion on “Safeguard Hong Kong from Mainlandization” was tabled by Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching yesterday.

Speaking this morning, Mo said the government must safeguard the city’s core values as she was worried about Hong Kong being increasingly influenced by the mainland.

“‘Mainlandisation’ refers to [consumer rights,] rampant corruption and abuse of power in the mainland,” she said. “Consumer’s confidence in the mainland has gone bankrupt because everything can be fake.”

Education representative Ip Kin-yuen said after the University of Hong Kong‘s council controversially denied its former law dean Johannes Chan Man-mun from being appointed as pro-vice-chancellor, many people were worried that city’s universities are under Beijing’s influence. Chan was repeatedly criticised by pro-Beijing figures for his working relationship with legal scholar Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who co-founded Occupy Central.

“Mainland universities are government-oriented and led by the Communist Party, but this is not what Hong Kong wants,” Ip said.