Love China like you would a lover, senior Hong Kong official urges city's young people

Executive councillor Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun has become the centre of online discussions for drawing an analogy between learning about the country and love affairs in a message aimed at young people.

In an interview published in pro-Beijing Wen Wei Pao and Ta Kung Pao, the close aide to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying encouraged young people to love and identify with the country from the start.

“It’s like dating and getting married,” Law explained. “Before falling in love, there should be preliminary and in-depth understanding and then a search for common ground.”

The former permanent secretary for education and manpower also invited young people to learn the country from all angles, such as by seizing opportunities to visit and work in the mainland.

“Even if you don’t like it after learning about it, you need to know about it in order to survive,” she said.

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“Hong Kong is too small and the market is not big enough,” Law continued.