Hong Kong students return ‘moved and inspired’ after national security study trip to mainland China
Hong Kong Free Press
More than 70 teachers and students have returned to Hong Kong after spending a week in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou on the government’s first national security education study tour.
According to a statement issued Thursday, students were “were particularly moved and inspired by the arduous Long March of the Communist Party of China,” referring to a military retreat by the Red Army during the Chinese Civil War in 1934.
The 75 principals, teachers and students from 17 secondary schools set off last Friday to visit Tiananmen Square, the Palace Museum, the Museum of the Communist Party of China in the Chinese capital, and the National Security Education Exhibition Hall in Shanghai, among others.
Students on the tour displayed “outstanding achievements” in an Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge jointly organised by the Department of Justice, the Security Bureau, the Education Bureau and the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation.
‘Pride and respect’
The statement quoted a student from Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School, Lung, who “expressed immense pride and respect” when watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square.
“As the national flag rose, a feeling of unparalleled pride and reverence surged within her, and she is willing to contribute her efforts to the prosperity and success of her motherland,” the statement read.
Yin, a student from St Stephen’s Girls’ College, “realises that only with a strong and prosperous country, social stability, and protection from external threats can people live and work in peace,” the statement continued.
Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk said that he hoped students would “continue to take the responsibility of safeguarding national security and strive for the betterment of Hong Kong and the country.”
See also: Exclusive: No Taiwan election study tour this year for University of Hong Kong students
Last week’s study tour differs from the compulsory mainland study tours for the Citizenship and Social Development subject, which more than 50,000 students are expected to join, according to the Education Bureau.
Citizenship and Social Development was introduced into the local curriculum as an overhaul of Liberal Studies in 2021, introducing more China-related content.
The move came after then-chief executive Carrie Lam and some pro-Beijing politicians accused the subject of fuelling the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019.
Since the imposition of the national security law in 2020, Hong Kong’s education system has seen an increased focus on patriotic and national security.
According to local media, kindergartens in 2021 received reference books on the security legislation so youngsters can begin their education on the legislation early, an education that continues throughout “key learning stages.” Since the 2022-23 school year, all schools must hold weekly flag-raising ceremonies at which China’s national anthem is sung, with penalties for those who “disrespect” the raising of the flag.
University students are not exempt, with undergraduates required to pass an introductory course on the Beijing-imposed law to graduate. Students at the University of Hong Kong told HKFP that while they did not feel like they were being brainwashed by the course, it failed to clarify where the “red lines” were drawn.
During his Policy Address in 2023, Chief Executive John Lee announced further patriotic education initiatives to enhance national identity and appreciation of traditional Chinese culture among Hong Kong people including new school initiatives and a revamped museum.
Organising additional study tours to mainland Chinese cities was among national security education-related policy goals listed in Lee’s policy address last year.
Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
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