It has been almost two years since I was forced to resign from the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), yet I still regularly keep abreast of its news. In mainland China, the media prefixes “Hong Kong” with the word “China,” mostly occurring after 2019. While this surprised me, I found that HKEAA was not the sole “victim.” The Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Hong Kong Tourism Board, among others, were also given the prefixation in media reports.
I am convinced that this is not by chance, but probably has political implications.
In the past three years, the communists repressively wrecked any signs of Hong Kong’s independence from the mainland. This is reflected in the language, “Hong Kong/Hongkonger” becoming synonymous with participants in the Hong Kong independence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) movement. Neutral expressions such as “I am a Hongkonger” and “Hong Kong add oil” (a Cantonese expression of encouragement and support) are taken to be one who supports the independence movement.
As a result, anyone who has interests in China and does not want to be attacked and bullied by the “little pinkies” (young pro-CCP Chinese) will avoid the terms “Hong Kong/Hongkonger.” Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, politician and the eldest grandson of tycoon Henry Fok; Cantopop singer Coco Lee; and Lau Chak-kei, the police officer who was invited to the Communist National Day celebration in Beijing in 2019 for his “righteous” act of pointing his gun at protesters during the anti-extradition protests—call themselves “Chinese Hongkonger.”
The latest development is that mainland websites add the prefix “China” to organizations that have Hong Kong in their name—the equivalent of political sterilization, for free.
At first glance, “Chinese Hongkonger/China Hong Kong” (Chinese way of writing Hong Kong, China) kills two birds with one stone, as it signifies both the mainland China and Hong Kong identities. However, this causes some problems as not all Hong Kong residents identify themselves as communist Chinese.
First, Hong Kong is conceptually part of China, and this term is sufficient to signify Hong Kong’s political status, just as “Earth” signifies the planet is part of the solar system. Hong Kong is not a name like Cambridge, which can found in countries around the world, so to be clear we say Cambridge, England, or Cambridge, Massachusetts, to avoid confusion. Therefore, using the superfluous term “China Hong Kong/Chinese Hongkonger” and giving up the simpler terms “Hong Kong/Hongkonger” is a tacit acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the Chinese ultra-leftists carrying out political struggles against Hong Kong residents and promoting the perverse trend of a neo-Cultural Revolution.
Second, this special treatment of “Hong Kong” is not only discriminatory and suppressive but also ridiculed. A few days ago, mainland Chinese news about Qianhai mentioned several names: Shenzhen Qianhai Administrative Bureau, China Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Zone, and Guangzhou Nansha New Zone. Logically speaking, does the terminology mean that the Trade Development Council is the only institution of the four found in China? Another example is a Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup match when it appeared on the official panel board “Guangdong” versus “China Hong Kong”—is this promoting Guangdong’s independence?
Third, and most importantly, the term “China Hong Kong” has a special meaning. In Chinese culture, the most important part of a name comes first; so in their understanding “China” must be put first. For westerners, the most important part comes last. Hong Kong’s Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong participates in international organizations or conferences using the name “Hong Kong, China.” In other words, putting China at the front of the name is a diplomatic move.
Chinese calling Hong Kong “China Hong Kong” and Hongkongers saying the same in front of fellow Chinese is to show their patriotism. In fact, the Chinese government has derived the term “Hong Kong compatriots” for the Hong Kong people on official occasions (such as the Communist National Day) to highlight national unity and eliminate tensions described above.
The term “Chinese Hongkonger” was first seen in the 1990s, used alongside “Hongkonger,” “Hong Kong Chinese” and “Chinese” as options in identity polls, which allowed respondents to express their level of identification with the options. While affixing “China” before “Hong Kong” is now the norm if not mandatory, reversing its order is certainly politically incorrect, as demonstrated by the name “Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club” coined before the second world war. Back then, Chinese was just one ethnic group out of many, and nobody saw anything wrong with a proper name starting with “Hong Kong.”
In view of China’s repressive policy towards Hong Kong over the past few years, “China Hong Kong/Chinese Hongkonger” is not so much an identity as a political label, a talisman to exorcize Hong Kong independence—or even a tattoo of the kind the Nazis put on the Jews during the Second World War—to remind the Hongkongers of their original colonial sin, day and night. They are increasingly seen as second-class people in their own country. No wonder people emigrate to flee the widespread political struggles that are now seen in the city.
