Spirit of ‘one country, two systems’ key to national identity issue in Hong Kong
Every effort must be made to keep to the formula after research has shown that the problem is more a lack of trust in Beijing rather than a lack of patriotism
The national identity of Hongkongers, or the lack of it, has been put under the spotlight again. There can be no dispute that a lot more needs to be done to nurture a greater sense of belonging to the country. But instead of just focusing on what measures may be adopted, we should also reflect on the reasons behind the situation.
If an analysis by researchers from the City University is any guide, the problem is more a lack of trust in the central government rather than a lack of patriotism.
Based on data collected by the public opinion programme of the University of Hong Kong since 1997, researchers found that a rise in local identity did not necessarily result in a fall in national identity. The fluctuations in the latter were more correlated to changes in the level of trust in Beijing.
Another study by the New People’s Party showed that Hong Kong students were aware of developments on the mainland and did not resist its culture, but few wanted to work across the border. About 10 per cent of respondents believed that local and national identities were compatible, although the majority gave an equivocal response.
The findings have provided some food for thought. Indeed, localism and national identity need not be mutually exclusive. This was also recognised by Zhang Dejiang, the then chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee during his visit to the city in 2016.