HK CPPCC member calls for national education

HONG KONG - A Hong Kong member of the country's top political advisory body on Sunday called for the strengthening of national education in Hong Kong while showing support of the proposed national security law.

Tu Haiming, a Hong Kong member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that there is an urgent need for a combination of measures to eradicate the idea of "Hong Kong independence" and to restore full confidence in the "one country, two systems" principle.

Tu, who's also the executive vice-chairman of the China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, made the remarks at a CPPCC plenary meeting in Beijing on Sunday.

The violent protests that broke out in Hong Kong in June last year was a stark reminder that, 23 years after returning to the motherland, the general public and even some civil servants in Hong Kong are still having divergent views about the "one country, two systems" principle, Tu noted. To some of these people, even advocating Hong Kong independence is acceptable, he said.

Tu said that the problem should be addressed by enhancing young Hong Kong people's understanding of the country through national education at schools. The central government should supervise the SAR government to formulate a unified syllabus of national education for primary and secondary schools, Tu suggested.

Tu also voiced support on the National People's Congress proposal for national security legislation in Hong Kong. He has requested the country's top legislature to utilize its power to give specific guidelines on enacting legislation on national security law under Article 23 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong.

The article stipulates that HKSAR should legislate on its own to safeguard national security.

Tu also suggested consolidating the voice of people who love the country and the city by encouraging them to express their views through more media platforms and coordinating the SAR's CPPCC and NPC members to speak out more frequently against "Hong Kong independence".