Letters | Work or study in China? Young Hongkongers find opinion divided

I am writing in response to “Study and work on mainland, Xi urges Hong Kong youth” (October 15). If I were asked to study or work in mainland China, my response would be a clear and definite no.

First of all, freedom of speech is a right Hongkongers are proud of and value, whereas the mainland keeps suppressing the freedoms and rights of its own people. And China persists with such controls, despite the opposition of rights groups such as Amnesty International and of the leaders of several countries. This is why Hong Kong youth are unable to trust China’s system, and many of them therefore have no interest in pursuing a degree or making a living over there. I would be frustrated if people told me what to say and what not to say, what to do and what not to do.

Moreover, research shows that the average monthly income in China is about HK$9,000, compared with around HK$17,000 in Hong Kong. A fresh graduate on the mainland earns roughly a third of what they would earn in Hong Kong.  

Given the opaque legal system on the mainland and the lower income levels in general, living or working in mainland China does not appeal to me.