Hong Kong youth’s patriotism undermined by relentless anti-China campaign conducted by ‘foreign forces’, Carrie Lam says
- Attempts to interfere in city’s affairs have been under way ever since 1997 handover from British sovereignty, chief executive says
- But national security law’s imposition has successfully prevented Hong Kong from being used as a platform for suppressing Beijing, she tells radio audience
“Foreign forces” have been negatively influencing Hong Kong’s youth and fuelling anti-Beijing sentiment ever since the city’s return to Chinese rule, the chief executive has said, blaming their alleged meddling for a lack of patriotism among those born since the handover.
But Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor offered no concrete backing for that claim on Friday, saying pending national security law cases prevented her from being more specific.
Speaking on a local radio programme, the city leader accused foreign powers of using Hong Kong as a platform to suppress China before the national security law was imposed last June.
“There is an inbuilt bias against the People’s Republic of China, and Hong Kong used to be a very ready platform … for suppressing China. Now, when it appears that this platform is no longer so readily usable, then [they] will turn to the other extreme and say China [is cracking down] on Hong Kong and taking away people’s freedom,” she said.
Without citing specific examples, Lam said that foreign intervention dated back to the early years following the city’s 1997 return from British rule.