Hongkongers should be patriotic, learn more Chinese history and help in the overall development of the nation. Those were the words of the Beijing’s new liaison official as she made her first public appearance in the city on Tuesday. Lu Xinning, the new deputy director of the central government’s liaison office, also promised that her office would continue to listen to Hong Kong’s younger generation. “[We] will walk with the young people, care about them and build more platforms for them, so that together we can make the nation and Hong Kong better,” she said. Lu, 52, spoke at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, a wave of anti-imperialism in 1919 that marked an upsurge in Chinese nationalism. Senior editor at People’s Daily appointed deputy director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong The May Fourth Movement was driven by student protests against the Chinese government’s weak negotiations with Western powers at the end of the first world war, and dissatisfaction with the subsequent Treaty of Versailles. “Today, my first hope is that people who visited this exhibition would promote patriotism, and not forget the shame we faced in our history,” Lu said. “I also hope that people will go through our history, and understand our country’s growth.” She pointed out that China had overcome challenges to become the world’s second-largest economy. “Finally, I hope people who visit this exhibition will realise their mission and responsibility,” Lu said. “Every generation of young people has opportunities and resources. For this generation, the great opportunities include the Greater Bay Area plan.” In the future, please do communicate with me and advise me. Lu Xinning, deputy director of Beijing’s office, speaking to local media Lu noted that some young Hongkongers’ start-up companies had been doing well in Guangdong, another reference to the central government’s Greater Bay Area plan to turn Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province into a financial and technology hub. Lu was a deputy editor-in-chief of People’s Daily , the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, before her appointment to the Hong Kong liaison office on May 19. She also served as chairwoman of the paper’s listed company, People.cn Co., Ltd, since last September. After the ceremony, Lu asked local media to keep in touch with her. Should powers of Beijing’s man in Hong Kong be defined in Basic Law? “I was a journalist too. I’m happy to see so many of you here, and I’ve heard in the past that Hong Kong media are friendly are very professional,” she said. “In the future, please do communicate with me and advise me.” Lu was appointed the seventh deputy director at the liaison office, and the second with a background in state-owned media. Yang Jian, a deputy director for six years, was once president of Xinhua’s Guangdong branch. Lu worked at People’s Daily for 28 years after graduating from Peking University with a master’s degree in classical Chinese literature in 1991, according to her resume.