After Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Movement, Government Actively Promotes China-Narrative "Patriotic Education"
Following the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement, the Hong Kong government has been actively promoting "patriotic education" with a focus on youth, aiming to strengthen their understanding of China and foster patriotism to prevent similar future movements. This initiative includes exchange programs like retracing the CCP's "Long March" path and mandatory study tours to mainland China for high school students.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 18:08
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 18:32 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 11, 2026 at 20:17 (1h 45m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Zhang Qian, Hong Kong, 11th) In the past two to three years, the Hong Kong authorities have been actively promoting "patriotic education" with a China narrative, focusing on young people. All parties believe this is related to the large number of young people who participated in the "anti-extradition bill" movement in 2019; implementing patriotic education is to help them understand China's national conditions and development, thereby strengthening their "love for the country and Hong Kong" sentiment.
The latest measure by the Hong Kong government to strengthen patriotic education is to encourage Hong Kong youth to retrace the path of the CCP's "Long March."
The Hong Kong government announced that the series of exchange activities titled "Inheriting the Spirit of the Long March, Continuing the Red Bloodline – Hong Kong and Macao Youth Retracing the Long March" officially launched today in Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province, China. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki personally attended and presided over the launch ceremony.
Chan Kwok-ki stated that, to date, the Hong Kong government has approved over 40 exchange projects related to the theme of "90th Anniversary of the Long March Victory," providing over 2,000 quotas for Hong Kong youth to visit relevant provinces to "learn history and inherit the spirit of the Long March."
The purpose of this move by the Hong Kong government is to enhance young people's understanding of Chinese history and development, cultivate their national pride and sense of ownership, and deepen their love for their home country.
In 2019, Hong Kong erupted in the "anti-extradition bill" movement, protesting the government's proposed amendments to the extradition law. Hundreds of thousands of young people participated at the time, making it the largest political demonstration in Hong Kong's history.
After the movement, the Hong Kong government, on one hand, enacted the "National Security Law for Hong Kong" to safeguard national security at the legal level, and on the other hand, started from education, widely promoting patriotic education to strengthen the "patriotic sentiment" of Hong Kong people, especially young people, to prevent similar intense movements like the "anti-extradition bill" from happening again.
At the end of 2023, after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China passed the Patriotism Education Law, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated that patriotic education should be strengthened. In his second policy address since taking office, he highlighted the promotion of "patriotism" and "Chinese culture," claiming that this aligns with the values of "loving the country and Hong Kong" and is consistent with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.
John Lee said at the time that the "Committee on the Promotion of the Constitution and the Basic Law," led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, would expand its functions to include patriotic education, and a "Patriotic Education Working Group" would be established to coordinate government departments and non-governmental organizations in promoting national education, aligning with the content of the "Patriotism Education Law of the People's Republic of China."
By 2024, the Hong Kong government established the "Patriotic Education Working Group," with Li Hui-chiong, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from Hong Kong, serving as the group leader. The group is responsible for proposing various patriotic education activities, including competitions, exchanges, and workshops for teachers and students, to enhance their appreciation of national culture and development.
In the past two years, the Hong Kong government has systematically promoted various patriotic education activities. Education officials said at the end of last year that after the full resumption of cross-border travel between Hong Kong and mainland China in early 2023, over 200,000 students had visited the mainland for study tours and exchanges by October last year.
After the "anti-extradition bill" movement, the Hong Kong government launched the "Civic and Social Development" subject (Civic Subject) in the 2021-22 academic year, replacing the former "Liberal Studies" subject. The Civic Subject curriculum also stipulates that all schools arrange for high school students to have at least one opportunity to visit mainland China for study tours, to help students understand China's national conditions and development and enhance their "national identity."
Relevant officials also stated that to align with the policy direction, the Hong Kong Education Bureau is working closely with mainland China to promote a "new study route for experiencing the history of nation-building" in the 2025-26 academic year for Civic Subject mainland study tours and student exchange programs. The itinerary includes visits to the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, the Chongqing Anti-Japanese War Museum, and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Editor: Qiu Guo-qiang) 1150511
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(Central News Agency reporter Zhang Qian, Hong Kong, 11th) In the past two to three years, the Hong Kong authorities have been actively promoting "patriotic education" with a China narrative, focusing on young people. All parties believe this is related to the large number of young people who participated in the "anti-extradition bill" movement in 2019; implementing patriotic education is to help them understand China's national conditions and development, thereby strengthening their "love for the country and Hong Kong" sentiment.
The latest measure by the Hong Kong government to strengthen patriotic education is to encourage Hong Kong youth to retrace the path of the CCP's "Long March."
The Hong Kong government announced that the series of exchange activities titled "Inheriting the Spirit of the Long March, Continuing the Red Bloodline – Hong Kong and Macao Youth Retracing the Long March" officially launched today in Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province, China. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki personally attended and presided over the launch ceremony.
Chan Kwok-ki stated that, to date, the Hong Kong government has approved over 40 exchange projects related to the theme of "90th Anniversary of the Long March Victory," providing over 2,000 quotas for Hong Kong youth to visit relevant provinces to "learn history and inherit the spirit of the Long March."
The purpose of this move by the Hong Kong government is to enhance young people's understanding of Chinese history and development, cultivate their national pride and sense of ownership, and deepen their love for their home country.
In 2019, Hong Kong erupted in the "anti-extradition bill" movement, protesting the government's proposed amendments to the extradition law. Hundreds of thousands of young people participated at the time, making it the largest political demonstration in Hong Kong's history.
After the movement, the Hong Kong government, on one hand, enacted the "National Security Law for Hong Kong" to safeguard national security at the legal level, and on the other hand, started from education, widely promoting patriotic education to strengthen the "patriotic sentiment" of Hong Kong people, especially young people, to prevent similar intense movements like the "anti-extradition bill" from happening again.
At the end of 2023, after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China passed the Patriotism Education Law, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated that patriotic education should be strengthened. In his second policy address since taking office, he highlighted the promotion of "patriotism" and "Chinese culture," claiming that this aligns with the values of "loving the country and Hong Kong" and is consistent with the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.
John Lee said at the time that the "Committee on the Promotion of the Constitution and the Basic Law," led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, would expand its functions to include patriotic education, and a "Patriotic Education Working Group" would be established to coordinate government departments and non-governmental organizations in promoting national education, aligning with the content of the "Patriotism Education Law of the People's Republic of China."
By 2024, the Hong Kong government established the "Patriotic Education Working Group," with Li Hui-chiong, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from Hong Kong, serving as the group leader. The group is responsible for proposing various patriotic education activities, including competitions, exchanges, and workshops for teachers and students, to enhance their appreciation of national culture and development.
In the past two years, the Hong Kong government has systematically promoted various patriotic education activities. Education officials said at the end of last year that after the full resumption of cross-border travel between Hong Kong and mainland China in early 2023, over 200,000 students had visited the mainland for study tours and exchanges by October last year.
After the "anti-extradition bill" movement, the Hong Kong government launched the "Civic and Social Development" subject (Civic Subject) in the 2021-22 academic year, replacing the former "Liberal Studies" subject. The Civic Subject curriculum also stipulates that all schools arrange for high school students to have at least one opportunity to visit mainland China for study tours, to help students understand China's national conditions and development and enhance their "national identity."
Relevant officials also stated that to align with the policy direction, the Hong Kong Education Bureau is working closely with mainland China to promote a "new study route for experiencing the history of nation-building" in the 2025-26 academic year for Civic Subject mainland study tours and student exchange programs. The itinerary includes visits to the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, the Chongqing Anti-Japanese War Museum, and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Editor: Qiu Guo-qiang) 1150511
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.