As a Hongkonger…(7B Alvin Chung)

How do you identify yourself, as a Chinese or Hongkonger? Since the handover 11 years ago, the mainland leaders have been obviously anxious about Hong Kong’s patriotic sentiments and winning hearts and minds from Hongkongers. Although the Beijing Olympics and space walk have made Hongkongers feel proud to be Chinese, the achievements overshadowed by some scandals in the mainland.

Recently, China has numerous accomplishments such as the Olympics and the Paralympics which were widely praised as well organized. The spectacular opening ceremony and Chinese athletes’ medal-winning moments were the most moving parts and were linked to a surge in national pride. After that, the motherland’s first spacewalker won the Hongkongers’ hearts too.
The mission realized the 100-year dream to carry people to the space as well as brought the country one step closer to building an independent space station to rival the International Space Station. It is also a milestone to show off China’s technological knowledge and cementing its status as a space power. Due to the above accomplishments, the Hongkongers feel more attached to and more supportive of the mainland. Some people believe China’s world image is progressing. Its booming economy and evolving culture make China have a higher global status.

However, there are many issues or scandals which make people lose confidence or trust in mainland such as lack of human rights and environmental awareness. The most controversial is the tainted-milk scandal. The snowballing tainted-milk scandal killed at least four infants and left more than 53,000 children ill. Therefore, many citizens are concerned about the food safety and view Chinese products as a bad brand.

To conclude, if Chinese government wants to win the hearts and minds from Hongkongers or even all the world, it should hear the voice of the public. Firstly, the Chinese government should take a more active role in promoting human rights and continue to improve its political system. Moreover, expanding the media freedom and giving the public a bigger say concerning state affairs are necessary Otherwise, China’s national image on international status would be harmed.