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Patriotic Propaganda Backfires

The Young Reporter (2004, November), 37(02), pp. 4.
Author: Bonnie Cao Yining. Editor: Sherman Lam Cheuk-man.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0015416

Bonnie Cao Yi-ning

NATIONAL anthem in an upbeat music video format fails to promote patriotism among local students. First person experiences from exchange programs and tours are more effective to enhance understanding of the motherland.

A 45-second national anthem video is scheduled before the evening news on all local Chinese-language television channels. The video features beloved national idols—diving queen Guo Jingjing and astronaut Yang Liwei.

But the $600,000 project appears to be out of tune with the public. Many university students consider the presentation to be trivial and hollow.

Michael Wong Chi-yung, a government and international studies student at the Hong Kong Baptist University, is disappointed at the government propaganda strategy.

“The idea of having the video clip is stupid,” said Michael, “Only when a government is in a state of administrative crisis and cannot offer anything better to the people, that it would resort to such means”

Hermia Ng Yu-mei, another Baptist University student, scoffs at the propaganda video as a routine public service announcement.

“Maybe I was never the patriotic type,” she said.

Teenage service group Hok Yau Club recently surveyed 3,605 local secondary students and found up to 84 per cent of the respondents identify themselves more with Hong Kong than with China.

Karen Liu Ka-ling, a secondary school student, did not think the video would enhance her love for China. “It is odd to use the national anthem as the background music,” she said.

The Broadcasting Authority received 15 complaints from television viewers over the video in the first 10 days of its broadcast.

Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE) denies the video was a sort of brainwashing effort. The Chairman of CPCE Daniel Heung Cheuk-kei said in a RTHK radio program that the objective was to enhance the Chinese identity of Hong Kong people and help them to know more about the motherland.

To Yiu-ming, an associate professor of Journalism Department at the Hong Kong Baptist University, says both historical and current issues have made it very difficult for many Hong Kong people to accept the Chinese identity immediately.

“Patriotism briefly is the love of your country. It carries both the sense of identity and a kind of rational emotion. To love, we need a clear reason,” says Mr To, “It is easy to say I am Chinese. But it takes time for Hong Kong people to really identify themselves with the Chinese culture.”

Back in late September, the first World Chinese Youth Forum took place in Beijing. It was entitled “Dragons in China”, originated from an ancient metaphor that all Chinese were descendants of dragon.

The Forum boosted patriotism with different activities organized by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) and the All- China Youth Federation. It gathered 2000 delegates aged from 18 to 35 in the capital before October 1, the National Day of the People’s Republic of China.

Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, executive director of HKFYG said, “I hope the First World Chinese Youth Forum will help to instill a sense of commitment to building up the nation and their communities into all the participants .”

There were several academic seminars held in the Forum, mostly in Mandarin which aimed at drawing young overseas Chinese to work in the mainland.

Two hundred delegates were organized to watch the flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square at dawn on the National Day. The national anthem was played three times. Then followed by performances over 10,000 mainland university students.

Derrick Yip, a student from Hong Kong University, felt honoured to witness the solemn ceremony. An American-born Chinese, he has lived in Hong Kong for the past 11 years.

“I was touched when I saw the flag rise. It was very impressive,” he said. “Coming to China, we find that we are one family. The queer thing about Hong Kong is that they have put a label on themselves for a long time. They are only proud to be ‘Hong Kongers’.”

Another participant, Anita Chan Sze-man, a Shue Yan College student, did not agree with what she called the melodramatic behavior of some fellow participants.

“I don’t know why they were so passionate to say ‘Love China, Love Hong Kong’ in front of the Chinese officials and the cameras,” she said.

Despite subjective interpretation and emotions, most students consider visiting tours and exchange programs to the mainland are effective ways to enhance their national identity. In September, the Hong Kong Youth and Tertiary Students Association surveyed 600 university students, 63 per cent of them thought it was necessary to learn more about our country.

Edited by Sherman Lam Cheuk-man

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