Hong Kong should use national education to ‘guide’ youth who took part in Occupy protests, ex-Xinhua official urges
Former long-time Xinhua News Agency official claims ‘wrong understanding led to wrong actions’
In an interview with the official China News Service, Zhang Junsheng, former deputy director of Xinhua News Agency, struck a sympathetic tone as he talked about the city where he was stationed for 13 years until his retirement in 1998.
Xinhua’s Hong Kong branch was the predecessor of the central government’s liaison office in the city.
Zhang, 81, this week received a group of young Hongkongers at Zhejiang University, where he serves as chairman of its development committee.
But after two decades of the “one country, two systems” formula, it was time for a review, and figuring out how to guide young people should be a key component of the exercise, he said.
Education implemented by the colonial government estranged Hongkongers from their country
“Education implemented by the colonial government estranged Hongkongers from their country. People have thin understanding of the country, and there is instigation by external forces.”
“Wrong understanding led to wrong actions,” he added, with the way forward involving stepping up national education to guide wayward youth.
Zhang, known for his criticism of the pre-handover British colonial administration, has spoken about Hong Kong from time to time after the handover.
