Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a national conference on ecological and environmental protection in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held from July 17 to 18 in Beijing. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Representatives of various sectors in Hong Kong said on Tuesday that President Xi Jinping’s reply to students of Pui Kiu Middle School expressed the central government’s care for and expectations of Hong Kong’s young people, which is an important guidance for their development and has inspired the education sector in the city.

On June 20, all secondary four students from the school, which was founded by overseas Chinese in 1946 and has a patriotic tradition, wrote to the president to share their takeaways from patriotic education events and express their determination to contribute to the country. On Monday, Xi wrote back to the students, underlining patriotism as the core of the Chinese nation’s spirit, and encouraging them to continue to contribute to Hong Kong and national rejuvenation.

Muk said teachers and students were extremely surprised and delighted that the president, who has a busy schedule, wrote back to them within one month

After visiting the school to personally read Xi’s reply to the students on Tuesday, Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, said Xi has long been concerned about Hong Kong’s youth.

READ MORE: Xi replies to letter from Central Asian students

This letter urges the Hong Kong community to show special care for its young people and also encouraged every young person in Hong Kong to participate in building a better future for the city, Zheng said. 

Zheng said the letter fully reflects Xi’s sincere hope that the “one country, two systems” principle will continue steadily in Hong Kong, with the patriotic spirit passed down through generations.

Zheng said he hoped that students at the school live up to the president’s expectations and keep striving for excellence.

Pui Kiu Middle School is renowned for its patriotic values in Hong Kong, Zheng said, expressing his hope that it will continue upholding its distinctive patriotic qualities and promote national awareness and patriotism among its students.

Additionally, Zheng said he hopes that all sectors in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will provide more room for young people’s development and nurture more successors of “one country, two systems” capable of assuming responsibilities in the times ahead.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the SAR appreciates the letter from Xi, adding that the president’s earnest expectations for the youth to fulfill their mission and responsibilities as the younger generation in the city are palpable in the letter. 

While the letter conveyed care and encouragement to the school, it also served as an impetus for all schools in Hong Kong to organize activities beyond the classrooms, guiding the youth to deepen their understanding of the nation’s history, culture, and realities, Lee said. 

The letter will also spur schools in the region to strengthen their students’ sense of national pride, national identity, and patriotism, turning these values into action and passing on the spirit of loving the country and Hong Kong to future generations, he added. 

Muk Ka-chun, a teacher of Chinese history, citizenship, and social development at Pui Kiu Middle School, said the letter was collaboratively written by over 150 students wishing to express their love for Hong Kong and its motherland.

Muk said teachers and students were extremely surprised and delighted that the president, who has a busy schedule, wrote back to them within one month.

Muk vowed that the school will continue with its patriotic education, and extend this model to more schools in Hong Kong in the future. 

A student representative involved in writing to Xi said the letter from the president was “a very precious gift”.

Inspired by the letter, she pledged to maintain a positive and proactive mindset, develop her talents, and become a youth of a new age with experience of living in Hong Kong, a love for the motherland, and an international perspective.

READ MORE: Xi replies to letter from youths learning Chinese in S. Arabia

Tang Fei, a lawmaker and vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said Xi’s reply demonstrates the central government’s commitment to its words, showing the importance it places on Hong Kong’s youth.

Also, this letter shows the central government’s recognition of Pui Kiu Middle School and other traditional patriotic schools in Hong Kong, Tang said. 

Tang suggested the education sector in Hong Kong promote the approaches, methods, and best practices for patriotic education at traditional schools, to make Hong Kong’s patriotic education more professional and effective.