02 April 2013

CCS COMMENTARY:

China and : one nation, lots of protests

The South Morning Post recently conducted online poll which showed that 92% of people in Hong Kong would prefer a return to British rule. The poll was inspired by a similar referendum from the Falkland Islands. Out of a total of 4339 respondents, 3966 said they would prefer British rule to that of China. Only 373 (8%) pollsters said they favoured the current “one country, two sys- tems” modus operandi.

The findings of the referendum conform to the general trends identified by a Hong Kong University survey. This survey, conducted by Dr. Robert Chung, director of the Public Opinion Program at HKU, found that the majority of Hong Kong residents identified them- selves as first and foremost Hong Kong citizens rather than citizens of the PRC. These results an- gered the Chinese tabloids, which accused Dr. Chung of harbouring “evil intensions.”

Tensions between Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese newcomers are at an all-time high. The antagonism, which has been simmering for years, was thrust into the limelight after Professor Kong Qingdong of , an academic known for his strong positions and recognition as a 73rd generation descendent of , referred to self-identified Hong Kongers as “bastards” before adding that they used to be “running dogs for the British colonialists” and “aren’t human.” Image: ference.co.uk The current antagonism has its roots in a crisis in identity politics vis-a -vis the “one nations, two systems” approach adopted after Britain handed Hong Kong over to the Chinese in 1997. Beijing is trying to impose a unified Chinese national identity on Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong has an established, cosmopolitan and hybrid identity which is inconsistent with contemporary Chinese nationalism. Thus, CCP attempts to define what it means to be ethnically Chinese will not take root in the “other system” as any attempt to do so will be seen as pure belligerence. Recent protests in Hong Kong focused on the issues of free expression and free press. Free speech has been championed in Hong Kong and is one of the special privileges guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” doctrine. It has since become an established ideal in Hong Kong identity. However, widespread public opinion is that the increasing involvement of Beijing in local affairs is gradually undermining this privilege. This is evident, for instance, in the 2002 proposed introduction of Article 23 – a vague national security amendment outlawing acts of treason, secession, sedition or subversion against the Central People’s Government - to Hong Kong Basic Law. The proposal was met first with suspicion, then with widespread protest. In particular, Beijing’s apparent eagerness for the proposal’s ratification and the refusal of the government to issue a white paper – a policy guide for the public - were causes for unrest. The proposal was eventually shelved. However, it created a climate in which Hong Kong residents have become increasingly suspicious of government infringement on free speech. Since 2011, the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s (HKJA) annual freedom of expression report argued that Beijing has become more aggressive in pursuing its policies vis-a -vis Hong Kong. These include increased restrictions for reporters, especially in covering public protests. Mak Yin-ting, chairwoman of HKJA, said that Hong Kong was moving away from an open and transparent society. She noted that police are cracking down on protests and barring journalists and human rights commentators from scenes of unrest. On 3rd March 2013, protestors organized by the “We are Hong Kongians, not Chinese” Facebook group took to the streets in the name of free speech. In particular, the protestors were opposed to the Hong Kong Youth Care Association’s attacks on the Fulan Gong religious movement. Over the past eight months anti-religious propaganda has been appearing in many of the city’s thoroughfares. The HKYCA is responsible and is perceived by Hong Kong residents to be a propaganda arm of the CCP. The fact that it shares office space with the CCP branch tasked with eradicating Fulan Gong on the mainland and is led by a CCP official from Jiangxi Province does not help with this perception. The actions of HKYCA – which are often confrontational - are seen by Hong Kong residents as a form of state violence which infringes on the right to free speech and religious expression. The methods used include the disruption of Fulan Gong events and harassment of practitioners. In 2012, Hong Kong residents took to the streets in protest over the proposed introduction of a patriotic education curriculum. The patriotism classes, colloquially referred to in Hong Kong as “brainwash classes,” would introduce pro-Communist Party history textbooks and, government officials argued, introduce a sense of a common Chinese identity into Hong Kong. Critics argued that the proposed syllabus showed a simplistic, one-sided view of Chinese history and would fail to foster independent thought in the youth. Professor Willy Lam, of the Chinese , dismissed the proposed syllabus as “really very crude, patriotic, nationalistic propaganda.” Some protestors even resorted to hunger strikes in an effort to quash the proposed changes to the curricula. The Hong Kong legislature eventually amended the proposal, making it optional for schools to implement the patriotic curriculum. Hong Kong residents have an independent streak which rejects Chinese attempts to bring them into the fold. The problem for Beijing is, the more they try to impose their interpretation of Chinese identity on the residents of Hong Kong, the greater resistance they will encounter. This will become even more pronounced as the nationalistic vitriol of commentators like Professor Kong drive an even greater wedge between the “two systems.”

Robert Attwell Intern Centre for Chinese Studies Stellenbosch University

The Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Stellenbosch University is the leading African research institution for innovative and policy relevant analysis of the relations between China and Africa. For more information, please check the CCS website: www.sun.ac.za/ccs or contact us under [email protected]