Comics, cosplay and video games: how China can build ties between Hong Kong youth and their mainland peers
Tap on what the young people are passionate about, says Mission Hills golf chief Ken Chu in his proposal at political session in Beijing
Find what interests young people and use that to support youth exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland.
That’s the message golf resort chief Ken Chu Ting-kin delivered in Beijing last week.
“Young people from the mainland and Hong Kong have a lot of common interests like comics and electronic games. Organising joint events or [sports] competitions will provide more channels to enhance communication,” Chu, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, proposed.
CPPCC member Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, executive director of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, said young people should deepen their understanding of mainland policies and it was important to focus on their interests to sustain that engagement, Xinhua reported on Monday.
The city’s shared Cantonese heritage with Guangdong province could also generate job opportunities, said conference member George Lung Chee-ming, who chairs the Hong Kong Youth Exchange Promotion United Association.
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Students from Hong Kong had already glimpsed some of the possibilities open to them through visits to technology companies such as Tencent in Shenzhen, he told Xinhua.
Chu, who runs the Mission Hills Group, said exchanges could start at the secondary school level.
“Tapping into areas that young people are delighted to see and hear will make exchanges more effective,” he said.
Schools from the mainland and Hong Kong should organise more small-scale, one-off sports events, in addition to those organised at the national level.
Other areas such as cosplay events, street dance competitions, and musical and cultural activities were also platforms for communication, he said.
Chu, the son of late Mission Hills founder, China’s “Mr Golf” David Chu Shu-ho, has shared his life story with teens during visits to schools in the city.
One pupil said he wasn’t qualified to talk about the challenges because of his wealthy background. He responded by describing the difficulties he faced as an ordinary overseas pupil in Canada.
“I earned money by helping others to shovel snow in the winter, and I also worked at a petrol station,” Chu said.
“I am glad that I have these experiences, and I also encourage today’s young people to broaden their horizons by doing different jobs while studying.”
