The Identity of Hong Kong
“China is erasing its border with Hong Kong” (Vox Borders) -- Vox, 2018, 14:24 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyxG4vTyZ8
A look into how China is attempting to transform the identity of Hong Kong, an independent free-trade zone attached to mainland China. The citizens of Hong Kong have a distinct national identity created through decades of British rule, the preservation of their Cantonese language, and other cultural differences which distinguish them from Chinese citizens. But now their culture is under threat of forced transformation as China seeks to integrate Hong Kong back into the larger country. This video examines some of the methods the Chinese use to accomplish this, as well as the resistance mounted by the people of Hong Kong. The parts on newscasts and textbook propaganda, as well as forced adoption of Mandarin as the official language, are particularly interesting.
From the video’s description: When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Chinese leaders agreed that Hong Kong would be able to keep its economic and political systems, including some of the civil freedoms denied to China’s citizens on the mainland, for the next 50 years. Although Hong Kong still has nearly 30 years of semi-autonomy left, China has started tightening its grip, and many believe it is chipping away at Hong Kong’s freedoms. In this episode, I explore how Hong Kong is dealing with the looming deadline and China’s premature moves.
See also the first part of this series on Hong Kong’s border: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StW7oGSR_Mg