For years, Beijing has imagined hopefully that Hong Kong’s longstanding pro-democracy movement would lose its appeal among the city’s population. The Communist regime has long wanted the city’s annual commemoration of the 1989 Beijing massacre to dwindle and fade. China’s leaders and their local surrogates have longed for politically aware, especially younger, Hongkongers to accept reality and cease demanding an end to one-party rule.

Now, their wishes are coming true. But something even worse is happening instead.

The Democratic Party and other mainstream/moderate opposition groups are losing support – but to far more radical localist and pro-independence forces. Several factions of youth activists are boycotting/rejecting/ignoring the June 4 vigil on the grounds that they are Hongkongers, not Chinese, so the events of 1989 are the history of another country and of no special significance to them. These people similarly take no interest in whether the Communist Party keeps its grip on the Mainland; so long as Hong Kong is separate and insulated from China, who cares what happens up there?

Chief Executive CY Leung now finds himself begging the younger generation to identify as Chinese and – by implication and hints – even care about and remember the Tiananmen dead. One interpretation is that he is trying to bolster his dismal public opinion ratings in the hope of being appointed for a second term next year. But looking at the bigger picture, Beijing and its puppet government here must be thinking they were better off with the traditional opposition as ‘the devil you know’.Localism is putting the once-demonized mainstream pro-democrats into perspective. The Martin Lees and Emily Laus and other (including more radical) opposition oldies always claimed to be ‘patriotic’ Chinese. They demanded – as compatriots of the victims – that Beijing account for the 1989 killings. They called for democracy for Hong Kong as part of wider reform of the whole motherland. As nationalists and anti-colonialists, they had always supported Hong Kong’s return to China, and many wanted Taiwan back in the fold and stood beside pro-CCP figures to demand that Japan hand over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.

Now this new movement comes along, uttering absurdities like ‘independence’ and cheekily waving colonial banners. Its members say they don’t accept being Chinese anyway, don’t deign to oppose or even give a damn about the Communist Party, and claim not to comprehend what China has to do with Hong Kong in the first place. At least Emily Lau gave the CCP face by shrieking for its overthrow; these kids just shrug. In Taiwan, young radicals are so deeply into this line of thinking that you can’t even explain it away as posturing. This isn’t how it was supposed to turn out, and, as Zhang Dejiang’s clunky
platitudes here showed, Beijing’s officials are clueless about how to respond.

These youngsters and their sheer obliviousness to the CCP-vs-Pan-Dems rule-book are probably the most heartening, and quite possibly funniest, thing that has happened to Hong Kong since 1997. It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of corrupt Leninist tyrants.

(Wits have dug up CY’s June 5 1989 statement condemning the massacre. There’s much more out there, should any investigative reporters want to dig through enough archives: many, indeed most, pro-Beijing politicians and – perhaps more amusingly – tycoons publicly declared their revulsion and shock at the time, and would quite possibly find it embarrassing to be reminded about it all these years later.)

The post Beijing and Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Movement appeared first on The Nanfang.

He also heads the central government’s leadership group on all matters concerning Hong Kong and Macau. That means he is, in effect, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s boss and Leung’s job is currently on the line, awaiting Beijing’s approval for his second term due to begin next year. Hence the elaborate reception and the 6,000+ police detail that shielded the guest from danger and embarrassment at all times during his May 17-19 visit (May 23 post).

The aim of Zhang’s visit seemed clear even if it was not spelled out in so many words. He was the first official to set foot here since: the 79-day Occupy street protest in 2014 provoked by Beijing’s directive on universal suffrage elections; the legislature’s 2015 veto of that directive; and the violent political protest in Mong Kok last February.

Zhang’s mission was obviously intended to calm nerves and ease tensions because his tone remained unexpectedly calm and unthreatening throughout … except at the very end when he spoke briefly to an assembled gathering of mostly loyalist local notables. This group of about 200 people included members of Hong Kong’s National People’s Congress delegation and also Hong Kong appointees to the honorary Chinse People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Ironically, he spoke more forcefully about the dangers of dissent to this gathering than to other less politically reliable audiences where his tone was always low key reassuring and reasonable.

Among the few non-loyalist attendees at the final speech of his visit was former Chief Secretary Anson Chan who stood out amide the dark-suited somberly dressed crowed in a bright yellow jacket and black skirt … Occupy protest colors.

Zhang said pointedly that if dissent escalated out of control here, all Hong Kongers would pay the price (Wen Wei Po, May 20).

Earlier he had focused on dissent in softer tones when he sought to reassure Hong Kongers. There is growing resentment over the cross-border pressures for economic integration and especially the pressures that impact many sensitive aspects of political life. This resentment was recently dramatized in the futuristic film Ten Years that has received much publicity here but is banned elsewhere in China where the defiant message has nevertheless not gone unnoticed.

PROMISES
Chairman Zhang’s reassurances were given in most detail to banquet guests on May 18, and published in full the next day (Wen Wei Po, May 19). He promised that Beijing would not transform “one-country, two-systems” into “one-country, one-system.” Hong Kong would not be “mainland-ized” 【內地化】. It’s economic and social systems and core values were meant to last and the rule of law is paramount among them.

But Zhang also said Hong Kong’s special status in Beijing’s eyes is due to its economic strengths and these should not be weakened by political arguments. Localist sentiments were fine but they should not override loyalty to the nation.

QUESTIONS
No sooner had Zhang left town, however, than the local mainstream commentaries returned to “normal” with their usual ill-defined generalities and talking points. All noted Zhang’s new conciliatory tone. But no one had asked him directly, or raised specific questions later, as to what exactly he meant by “two-systems.” And without that definition, the promise that the two systems would never become one is meaningless.

In fact, there are many indicators now of attempts to mainland-ize that Zhang promised would never occur. One is Beijing’s electoral reform mandate that Hong Kong’s legislature vetoed because it would have meant setting the precedent for establishing mainland-style party-managed elections here.

Another cause for local concern is the continued insistence by mainland and loyalist sources that Hong Kong must pass the Article 23 national political security legislation that has been languishing on the shelf since 2003. There it was joined by the proposed compulsory political studies curriculum, shelved in 2012, but not abandoned.

Media ownership and university management are other areas of perceived eroding local autonomy that also have provoked dissent and protest. So has the case of the local book dealer who was apparently targeted by mainland law enforcement agents working here in order to put an end to his business of selling books banned across the border but not here.

The question for Zhang, then, is why he failed to acknowledge any of the specific causes responsible for Hong Kong’s growing disaffection. Besides paying lip service to the old slogans about “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” with a “high degree of autonomy,” what plans does Beijing have for reassuring Hong Kongers that their rights and freedoms will not again be threatened as they already have been by the Article 23 legislation and patriotic education and mainland-style party-managed elections?

In the wake of Zhang’s visit, there has been talk of developing a regular channel for communications between Beijing officials and Hong Kong’s democratic politicians. The head of Beijing’s liaison office here says he has invited them to lunch many times but they refuse to accept his invitations. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has just given an interview saying how much he has wanted to consult with them but they do not respond. And now there is talk of a get-together being arranged across the border in Shenzhen.

A top-level Beijing meeting on Hong Kong is also reportedly in the works … no doubt to hear Zhang Dejiang work report 【工作匯報】on his Hong Kong trip and discuss its lessons. But through it all there has yet to be any hint of the definitions Beijing officials might use in making their decisions about Hong Kong’s political future beyond the old platitudes and generalities.

The post Chairman Zhang Dejiang’s Visit To Hong Kong Leaves Many Questions Unanswered appeared first on The Nanfang.

An editorial in the Global Times, a party mouthpiece, said a Hong Kong movie called “Ten Years” shows its producer’s waywardness and is spreading “depression”, adding the movie is doing more harm than good to Hong Kong society.

CNN describes some of the movie’s more sensational scenes:

Government assassins kill a local politician to spark a riot that will allow them to seize greater control.

Uniformed “youth guards” attack a bookshop accused of selling banned materials.

The movie debuted in only one theatre in Hong Kong last year, but has already outperformed the latest Star Wars installment. The film comes at a time when Hong Kongers, just two years after the Occupy protest against Beijing’s refusal to grant the territory true universal suffrage, fear for their freedoms in light of bookseller abductions and growing intervention from the Mainland.

The author of the Global Times story said the strong box office has only affected a minority of Hong Kongers, and the group still has enough intelligence to resist the “thought virus” and won’t take the film too seriously.

“Ten Years” is comprised of five short films into a prophetic, fantasy film. It predicts a very dismal future for Hong Kong, with a note at the end saying: “It’s not too late, calling on Hong Kong people to resist.”

The editorial in the Global Times said Mainland people think the film is completely absurd. It said the depicted scenes will not appear in Hong Kong, nor in the Mainland, adding the majority of people don’t share the same view as the film’s producers.

The editorial said if the film’s director really wants to “scare” Hong Kong people and create anxiety in the city, he and the public should ponder what consequences it will bring to Hong Kong.

The post Global Times Blasts Dystopian Hong Kong Film Predicting a Dismal Future in 2025 appeared first on The Nanfang.

Designer San Gaai Si has designed a series of stickers to conceal mainland Chinese references on the Hong Kong passport. Originally titled “Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China,” the altered version simply reads “Hong Kong.”

While the Taiwanese passport featured local icons like Yunshan mountain, the Formosa black bear, and pro-democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung, the Hong Kong version includes cultural symbols like the city’s iconic skyline, movie star Bruce Lee, and the old-style Chinese junk boat. Users can also alter their Hong Kong passports to feature the colonial coat of arms of the UK, as well as an umbrella that signifies the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement from last year.

San says the campaign has been going well: “The response has been enthusiastic,” San told HKFP. “Not just from local Hongkongers, but also from abroad.”

The Taiwan campaign has been countered by legislators with a draft that would ban any alterations or defacing of a ROC passport. However, as Hong Kong does not have such a law (yet), San is confident that users of the stickers are within their rights to alter Hong Kong passports as they wish. “There’s nothing in the passport ordinance about defacing one’s passport,” said San.

Taiwanese citizens that had altered their passports with the stickers reportedly used them to gain entry into other countries with no problems, including China.

The post Hong Kong Passports Altered In Grassroots Independence Campaign appeared first on The Nanfang.

There was a lot on the line going into Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifying match between China and Hong Kong: national/local pride, bragging rights to a long-standing rivalry, and a chance to progress in qualifying towards to the biggest show on earth.

The match was big news in Hong Kong, where tensions with the Mainland have boiled over in the past few years, most notably during the 79-day Occupy street protests last fall. Screens were set up around Hong Kong for people to cheer on the home team, with fans hoping the Chinese team could be knocked out of contention. And that’s basically what happened with the 0-0 draw. Now there’s only a slim path for China to qualify for the next round.

In China’s Group C division, Qatar remains in first place, and has secured a place for the next round. In order to advance, third-place China must win its next two games against the Maldives and the undefeated Qatar as well as hope other second-place teams in other Asian divisions perform poorly.

Chances also appear slim for second-place Hong Kong, but the team didn’t waver against an aggressive China in what turned out to be a tense game with several controversial moments involving disallowed goals.

In the 52nd minute, a shot from Hong Kong’s Festus Baise that wound up squarely in the Chinese goal was disallowed by the referee because he ruled teammate Paulinho had first fouled Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei.

Later, at the 78th minute, a header from forward Yang Xu to striker Yu Dabao resulted in a pair of shots on goal, with the second deflecting off the goal post and into the arms of Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai. Despite Chinese players celebrating the shot as a goal, the referee disallowed it even though many Chinese fans thought the ball was saved after having crossed the goal line (seen above).

As contentious as these two disallowed goals may be, they paled in comparison to the real controversy of the game as Hong Kong fans loudly booed the national anthem. Hong Kong soccer fans at Mong Kok stadium were seen carrying signs and T-shirts saying “Boo”, “Support Your Own People” and “Hong Kong is Not China” as they chanted “We are Hong Kong” while holding up their middle fingers and shouting profanities against the mainland Chinese team.

The booing of the PRC anthem comes after Hong Kong fans were warned by the Hong Kong Football Association after previous booing that occurred during games with Qatar and Bhutan this past June. Although it can compete independently in the Olympics and the World Cup, Hong Kong S.A.R. is considered a part of of the People’s Republic of China, and so shares the same anthem. Future punishment could involve the Hong Kong football team playing their games without their fans present.

Many Hong Kongers considered the draw to be a win for the home team. Desperate for a win, though, Chinese soccer fans were bitterly disappointed by the draw.

A poll held by Sina revealed that half of the 18,000 respondents said they were angry with the results of the China-Hong Kong match-up, with another 27 percent saying they were disappointed. Seventy-five percent of the respondents asked for Chinese men’s soccer head coach Alan Perrin to step down.

This sentiment was taken to extremes by a fan who hacked into the Chinese Football Association’s website, leaving a note that criticized Perrin’s strategy (seen above). The hacker asked for Perrin and Chinese Football Association president Cai Zhenhua to be fired, along with Cai to be investigated by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission with a “discipline inspection”.

Meanwhile, reaction to possibly yet another failed campaign to qualify for the World Cup brought out anger and disappointment from netizens:

gladyholiday:
Chinese (Men’s) Soccer Team: Last time in Shenzhen (in September), the explanation was that there was a problem with the air. This time, they’re saying that Mong Kok Stadium is too small. You say this in spite of not being out of breath and having flushed faces! What a joke! Huh… maybe we should give them an award for “most creative (explanation)”?

梅州校园新鲜事:
Steps taken by the Chinese Soccer for every competition:
1. Upon drawing lots (for upcoming games), be sure to say many bold, visionary words. 2. Off to a good start, predict a good outcome against opponent. 3. Lose the initiative. 4. Maintain suspense. 5. Citing only theorhetical possibilities, watch how the opponent reacts. 6. Completely say goodbye to the small group by getting knocked out early. 7. Find new people who will fight for the honor. 8. Switch around personnel, get ready for the following World Cup.

写给远方：
Firmly request the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection make an inspection of the Chinese Soccer League!!!

人帅腿长毛也长：
Goodbye to this era, hello 2022. Get lost Perrin, you have destroyed yourself with this game.

景俊记：
There will always be a tomorrow. Why are there so many of them?

我系万远涛：
This is the emotional rollercoaster that China always does. Once a problem arises, they transfer attention in order to muddle the feelings of any patriotic Chinese. Heehee, it’s the same trick used by the party I belong to. 

进击的南大学生：
Encourage them for what? Since I was a child, I’ve been watching the Chinese men’s soccer team for ten years now. Encourage them? It’s been fricken ten years of encouragement.

托雷斯他老婆：
Keep on trying to find excuses. No need for anymore of this ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ business. If you can’t get it done, then leave.

Chinese celebrities have offered their own take on the failed chances of China’s men’s soccer team. CCTV anchor Duan Xuan said, “These past few years, there have been a number of changes throughout China, but it seems that only in soccer that ‘time passes so quickly that its beginning and end are the same,'” and also mused that “There’s a type of love that’s called ‘letting go’.”

The rivalry between Hong Kong and China for qualifying for the World Cup has been especially fierce this year. Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai alleged that he was spat upon and insulted as a “dog” by Chinese team captain Zheng Zhi during their September match in Shenzhen. And even before competition began, the Chinese Football Association courted controversy by publishing promotional posters that singled out Hong Kong for having a mixed-race team (seen above), something the China Daily looks to prolong by pointing out the Hong Kong team had “six naturalized players in the line-up” in its follow-up report on Tuesday’s game.

In 1985, Hong Kong ruined China’s chances at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico by knocking them out with a win, leading to riots outside the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.

China’s sole appearance at the World Cup was in 2002. At that time, the country was able to capitalize on the absence of South Korea during the qualifying rounds since South Korea had already been guaranteed a spot as World Cup hosts.

Related:

• Yao Ming Rejects Soccer As The Future Of Chinese Sport
• Newspaper Blasts China’s Soccer Cheerleaders For Being Ugly
• “Hong Kong is Not China” Artwork Spreads Fast Online

The post China Shocked After Hong Kong Deals Heavy Blow to World Cup Hopes in Highly-Politicized Match appeared first on The Nanfang.

While Chinese are long familiar with “forced shopping”, a practice whereby travel organizers try to force tourists to make purchases in order recoup their losses from offering travel packages at extremely low prices, the news has become sensationalized in China because a person died outside of the Mainland.

On October 19, a 54 year-old man named Miao from Heilongjiang was part of a mainland Chinese tour group that arrived in a commercial shopping area in Hong Kong’s Hung Hom area. Miao went to a Man Lok Street jewelry store with a 53 year-old woman named Zhang, but did not buy anything because it was “too expensive” and bartering proved to be ineffectual.

When Miao left to smoke by the entrance to the store, the tour group’s leader, a 32 year-old dual citizen named Deng, came to help negotiate the disagreement. However, Deng’s appearance only made things worse as things escalated to the point Deng was slapped in the face.

When Miao stepped forward to mediate, a group of four men appeared and physically assaulted both Miao and Zhang after dragging them outside. Miao suffered heavy injuries, with witnesses saying he was bleeding from the mouth when he fell to the ground, unconscious.

About 24 hours later Miao died from his injuries in a Hong Kong hospital.

Hong Kong police has categorized the incident as a case of manslaughter. Two men, a 44-year-old Hong Konger and a 32-year-old mainlander, have been arrested by police for attacking Miao. As well, both Zhang and Deng have been arrested (seen below, right and left, respectively). Hong Kong police say they are still looking for two other men in conjunction with the attack.

The incident has outraged many people from mainland China, who have had a tempestuous relationship with Hong Kong residents over cultural differences and parallel trading, among others.

The Global Times published an op-ed in which Hong Kong is slammed for its role in the death of the tourist:

No matter how you explain it, the incident still took place within Hong Kong borders. This reflects one aspect of the chaos inherent in the Hong Kong tourism market as well as revealing a severe gap in the Hong Kong law and governance over the tourism market. At the very least, this just shows that the cheating of mainland tourists in this market is rampant and unchecked.

China Daily reports the incident prompted calls in the mainland for a boycott of travel to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the China National Tourism Administration has urged Hong Kong authorities to protect the rights of mainland tourists.

But despite some Chinese news media like 163 News saying the attackers are “suspected local men”, others say the root of forced shopping stems back to the mainland. Analysts say that people called “shadow followers” follow tour groups from the mainland and force them to buy things.

Forced shopping has been been happening in China for a number of years, with the most brazen acts caught on video and reported in the news, as when a tour guide berated a bus full of tourists in Yunnan for not spending enough money this past May.

The post Death of Mainland Tourist in Hong Kong Prompts Calls for Boycott appeared first on The Nanfang.

The Mainland team was heavily favored to beat Hong Kong, so the draw is seen in some quarters in Hong Kong as a victory and a loss for the Mainland. Hong Kong soccer goalie Yapp Hung-fai, who stopped all of mainland China’s 39 shots on goal, said this on Instagram: “We made it! Also, we, the Hong Kong team, intended to defend. You were mad at not winning the match and approached me to call me a dog. Asian Footballer of the Year, you have good skills, but you fail in terms of sportsmanship!”

Yapp confirmed to Hong Kong media that the “Asian Footballer of the Year” he was referring to was Zheng Zhi, captain of the mainland Chinese team. When asked by news media, Zheng responded that the incident “simply didn’t happen”:

At the time, the referee was at the scene. If I had insulted him or had displayed any untoward behavior, the referee must have have seen it.

Zheng said his team was under pressure as the match was winding down, and complained to the press that the Hong Kong soccer team was displaying unsportsmanlike behavior by trying to run out the clock:

It was clear to everyone that our opponents played defensively rather than offensively to try to run out the clock. We expected that they would play defensively, but did not think that our opponents would try to run out the clock.

Hong Kong soccer coach Kwok Ka-ming said it would be difficult to verify Yapp’s claims without an actual audio recording of the incident.

A “dog” is a mainland Chinese slur used on Hong Kong residents and has British imperialist overtones, something similar to the Hong Kong insult of “locust” used on mainland residents.

Controversy between the mainland China and Hong Kong soccer teams has erupted before. A mainland Chinese campaign promoting the match-up with the ethnically-diversive Hong Kong team drew criticism, while mainland Chinese fans were enraged when the PRC national anthem at a Hong Kong match with Bhutan was booed.

Hong Kong remains at the top of their World Cup qualifying division, and will take on undefeated Qatar on Tuesday. Hong Kong and China will play again on November 17 at Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong.

The post Chinese Soccer Star Calls Hong Kong Goalkeeper a “Dog” in Emotional Qualifying Match appeared first on The Nanfang.

The images were first uploaded to a Facebook group called Local Studio HK, which has other similar-themed materials on it. It comes at a time of tense relations between the Mainland and Hong Kong, including last year’s Occupy movement, the voting down of Beijing’s democracy proposals, and more. Relations are so frayed that Hong Kong people booed the Chinese national anthem at World Cup qualifying games played in the city.

The artwork, though, is the latest manifestation of Hong Kong people asserting their own identity as not being part of the Mainland, which naturally doesn’t sit well with some Mainland people who have seen the images. Maggie Chou left this comment on Facebook:

“I understand HK is going through a difficult time right now. You have every right to be angry, but if you are angry, be angry at the government and the communist party. Posts like this will hurt mainlanders and make mainlanders think HK people are arrogant. I know you are proud of your distinct identity, but please don’t do it on the cost of others.”

You can see the collection below.

The post “Hong Kong is Not China” Artwork Spreads Fast Online appeared first on The Nanfang.

Square dancing, which has drawn groups of middle-aged Chinese women to dance to music like this, has long been a problem in China with locals objecting to excessive noise and the monopolization of public space. Over in Hong Kong, however, the objection to square dancing is more serious as it regarded by some as an encroachment of mainland culture on the Special Administrative Region.

A group of Hong Kong locals took to the streets of Mong Kok yesterday (July 28) to protest Mainland women square dancing, which led to violent clashes between pro and anti-Beijing forces in which police deployed pepper spray and arrested five people. Mong Kok was wear some of the most violent demonstrations happened during last year’s Occupy movement.

Hong Kong localist groups gathered in the Sai Yeung Choi Street public pedestrian area to protest square dancing, accusing the women of noise pollution, overcrowding the area, and pushing out local performers. Coconuts Hong Kong describes the protest turning violent once a pro-Beijing group appeared to confront them.

Police arrested four men and one woman between the ages of 23 and 55. Suspects were charged for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, public disorder, and common assault. A police statement said that one officer was injured during the incident, and that further arrests may be made.

Members of the pro-Beijing faction, who were accused of assaulting the protesters, were ushered away by the police.

Pro-Beijing group Caring Hong Kong Power member Anna Chan was berated by the crowd as she held a PRC flag and told them, “Hong Kong is part of China, the Chinese nation shall rise, I am Chinese and patriotism is our duty.”“Hong Kong is part of China, the Chinese nation shall rise, I am Chinese and patriotism is our duty.”

The Chinese news media, though, had a very different take on yesterday’s confrontation.

China.com reported nearly 100 Hong Kong “radicals” were not protesting against square dancing, but the rise of mainland tourists in Hong Kong instead. Described as being the same “instigators” at last year’s Occupy protests, the Hong Kong independence protesters were still reported to be upset at the singing of nationalist “red songs” in Putonghua and the use of square dancing to whitewash local culture.

Meanwhile, the mainland Chinese cultural export of square dancing has been seen in places as far away as Moscow and New York City.

The post Pepper Spray Deployed After Dancing Aunties Spark Near Riot over Hong Kong-Mainland Relations appeared first on The Nanfang.

The match was broadcast on CCTV-5, so the Hong Kong fans’ reaction was witnessed by many mainland viewers. Although mainland sporting reports made no mention of the booing, and the subject has not been very popular on Chinese social media, there have been some extreme reactions from mainland Chinese:

深圳的陆陆:
After watching the broadcast of the Hong Kong-Bhutan soccer match in which Hong Kong soccer fans intentionally hissed the (Chinese) national anthem, all I can say is: get the hell out of here! Forget it, (we mainlanders) are not going to recognize such rude offspring (as you Hong Kongers).

虚无の栤幽:
It’s already hard for me to describe this in words. Just give me a tank already.

earth000kkk:
Murder them all.

万国行:
(When the Chinese national anthem played,) the (Hong Kong) team members were solemnly standing at attention, but spectators were being rowdy. There weren’t many that sang along. What does this signify? That Hong Kongers don’t recognize China (as its country)? Possibly.

管至父:
Doesn’t Hong Kong have its own anthem? The central government is too small minded. When Scotland competes, is it prefaced by the English national anthem?

花心小衰哥丶:
What song does the Taiwan team play during the qualifying rounds for the World Cup? Is it the (same as the PRC anthem)?

管至父 (in response to above):
(They play) the anthem to the Ming Dynasty.

等你回来丶v:
We… have reached… our limits…

老衲无悔4:
Give me a tank. I can’t take it anymore.

萨内蒂爱国米:
If they’re going to boo, then let them. What can we do as the losers that we are? We’d just curse at them from behind our keyboards.

心碎的王子 (responding to above):
Isn’t it illegal to insult the national anthem in a public place?

伊不拉稀我拉稀:
Can you give me a tank?

蓝黑Interview:
Cut off the supply of water and food.

重庆重庆LIFAN:
It doesn’t matter because when the time comes, it will be a 20-0 bloodbath for the national team. Both at home and away. A massacre at Mongkok.

The Chinese Football Association had previously released a number of posters promoting the Asian qualifying rounds, which had been controversial in their own right, by describing the Hong Kong soccer team as a hodge-podge of “black skin, white skin, and yellow skin”. Some netizens considered this to be the reason why Hong Kongers booed the PRC national anthem.

Here’s what netizens had to say on this issue:

NAKACHEN:
Because the China Football Association had released a series of provocative posters, this had sparked anger in Hong Kong soccer fans. So when they play the ‘March of the Volunteer Army’ (the PRC anthem), fans hissed in retaliation.

混世球魔LZ:
This is all the fault of the Chinese FA! Those posters were beyond the pale! If these piggy team members won’t prove to be disappointing, their management sure will!

bonafantasy:
This has nothing to do with the poster. Glorious Hong Kong has always been this way!

baozi1101100:
The soccer league can’t badmouth the national anthem. The national anthem is sacred and cannot be blasphemed against! Hong Kongers notion of national pride has gotten watered down.

tcjtsw (responding to above):
It hasn’t gotten watered down. They simply don’t have any.

折翼泪:
Simply just a bunch of brainless brats.

黑郁金香_u0:
(Hong Kongers) don’t have any morals. China, Japan, and South Korean dispute with each other all the time, and yet they’ve never booed at each other’s national anthem!

hh12390的春天 (responding to above):
This is a reasonable (response). Hong Kong’s power of independence must be quickly squelched.

104五:
(Hong Kongers) always consider mainlanders to be locusts (a derogatory term implying ravenous consumption). Even if there wasn’t a poster (from the Chinese FA), they’d still boo us.

The post HK Soccer Fans Boo PRC Anthem; Mainlanders Enraged appeared first on The Nanfang.