Daughter of Maxim’s founder hits out again at Hong Kong protesters, saying she has lost hope in the next two generations
- Annie Wu doubles down on earlier remarks at a UN meeting in September, this time in an interview with pro-Beijing Global Times
- Her views have led to protesters targeting Maxim’s businesses in a campaign of vandalism
Annie Wu Suk-ching, 71, made the remarks in a hard-hitting interview with the pro-Beijing Global Times, as Hong Kong nears five months of anti-government protests which were sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill.
In September, Wu had denounced the campaign at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying “the views of a small group of radical protesters do not represent the views of all 7.5 million Hongkongers”. Her comments enraged protesters, fuelling a campaign of vandalism against Maxim’s outlets and franchises it operates, such as Starbucks Coffee, Jade Garden, Genki Sushi and Simplylife.
In her latest interview published on Monday, Wu said: “I think we have lost two entire young generations.
“I have given up hope [on these youngsters] and will not waste my time talking to them, as they have no idea what they are doing and what they should do ... Their brains have been occupied by other ideas and that is irrevocable.”
In September, students from the Chinese Foundation Secondary School in Hong Kong launched a protest saying Wu had made verbal threats to expel and fire striking students and staff in a meeting with them. She is a former supervisor and a serving member of the school’s sponsoring body.
The school later clarified that students with parents’ permission to boycott classes would not be punished.