On Oct 1, people in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and throughout China will be marking National Day and the landmark 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. For our schools, this will provide an opportunity to enhance their programs of patriotic education, in keeping with the Patriotic Education Law which was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in October 2023.
The law, which took effect in January, is clearly intended to promote patriotism, but in the words of the Xinhua News Agency, it also “stresses the need to be rational, inclusive and open-minded, open the country wider to the world and embrace other civilizations”. This enlightened approach also mandates that patriotic education respects the “history and cultural traditions of other countries and draws inspiration from all of human civilization’s outstanding achievements”.
Such a broad, internationally minded, nonparochial approach to patriotic education is far removed from the Western narrative that the central government’s sole objective is to indoctrinate children into narrow, nationalistic, ideological support for the Communist Party of China. On the contrary, to promote national unity and harmony through patriotic education in a broad international context is a mission that all schools should readily embrace. For Hong Kong, this is particularly important following the divisions caused by the anti-China rhetoric and violent protests of 2019-20. Patriotic education has a key role in healing these divisions and reinforcing the first part of the “one country, two systems” constitutional formula.
Although patriotic education can be taught as a discrete subject, it is much more effective to integrate it as an interdisciplinary theme permeating the whole curriculum, especially across the humanities and arts subjects. History, geography, religious education, literature, art, music, and drama all provide opportunities to foster an appreciation of one’s country in its international setting.
History is especially important in providing an understanding of how one’s country has evolved, its shared heritage and values, and its relationship with other countries. In the HKSAR, this should include a firm grounding in China’s remarkable ancient history. Often referred to as the birthplace of civilization, China has bequeathed to the world the philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism, as well as poetry, literature, medicine, technological innovations such as paper, gunpowder, silk and acupuncture, a system of writing, and a unique 3,500 years of recorded written history.
Teaching the history and impact of Confucianism is especially important in developing an understanding of modern Chinese values and politics. The traditional Chinese cultural values of harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty and filial piety are all rooted in the teachings of Confucius. Harmony is the key underlying theme of Confucianism, and students need to understand how this has shaped Chinese political thinking. This is in sharp contrast to the more adversarial approach of Western countries, where political conflict is much more prevalent than political cooperation and harmony.
If ancient Chinese history is important in understanding some of the key values of modern China, schools also need to teach modern Chinese history in order to explain the importance of patriotism for the nation. This is especially true for Hong Kong school children as the territory played a key role in the story. The history of the two Opium Wars (1839-42; 1856-60), and the subsequent series of unequal treaties forced upon China by European powers, were significant events which molded China. They restricted its economic sovereignty, imposed unfavorable terms of foreign trade, and ceded territories, including Hong Kong, to Western states. The popular anti-Western resentment that these humiliating treaties engendered, including the unsuccessful Boxer Rebellion of 1900, were significant drivers of Chinese patriotism.
Similarly, students need to be aware of China’s early 20th century history, when the foreign exploitation of China continued, with Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Japan carving up the country into different “spheres of influence”. The resentment and mistrust of foreign powers created by this quasi-colonialism became even more entrenched when China was invaded by Japanese forces in 1931. The eventual defeat of Japan in 1945, although triggered by the American deployment of atomic bombs, owed much to the combined Chinese Communist and Nationalist forces which had kept Japanese troops mired in China for so many years and cost the imperial army an estimated 480,000 casualties. The surrender of Japanese forces to the Chinese military in 1945 was followed four years later by the victory of the People’s Liberation Army over the Kuomintang Nationalists. These milestones in Chinese history, culminating in the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949, should be an essential part of the school curriculum.
Seventy-five years later, this history of struggle and liberation is still ingrained in the Chinese psyche. Students can only understand Chinese patriotism and China’s relationship with the West if they appreciate the deep emotions engendered by this century of humiliation and conflict. They acted as a catalyst for a rising tide of nationalism, helping to unite the country, promote a greater sense of national identity, and establish a determination to assert China’s sovereignty and independence on the world stage. Only by studying this period of history will students appreciate the legacy of the Opium Wars, foreign exploitation and the Japanese invasion in shaping China’s current approach to international relations and its insistence on the sacrosanct importance of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Equally, patriotic education needs to foster international understanding and international-mindedness among students in order for them to understand China’s place in a divided yet increasingly interdependent world. In particular, they need to be taught the difference between true patriotism, meaning a love and appreciation of one’s country, and the false patriotism of xenophobic nationalism, inciting hatred of foreigners, immigrants, minorities or even those with different political beliefs. They need to know that true patriots love their country and aspire to the common good, but also appreciate that the people of other countries deserve respect. Most importantly, they need to recognize that being a patriot and being an internationalist are not mutually exclusive. Promoting international links and exchanges with overseas schools are particularly constructive ways to foster an understanding and appreciation of different cultures, both enriching students’ lives and helping to create a more tolerant, resilient and peaceful planet.
Another key aspect of patriotic education is fostering the ability to think critically, evaluate information and recognize the propaganda and indoctrination with which students are constantly bombarded in the media, not least the West’s persistent anti-China narratives. It has been said that education is what remains when the facts have been forgotten. This maxim should be at the heart of patriotic education, developing in young people analytical and evaluative skills, empathy, decision-making skills, and critical thinking.
It is clearly true that patriotic education in Hong Kong is a long way from the Western cliche of narrow indoctrination to “promote the leadership and ideology of the Chinese Communist Party”. In reality, it helps to foster national unity, harmony, commitment and a sense of belonging. It gives historical context to China’s political system, society, values and culture. It promotes international-mindedness and the importance of international cooperation, national sovereignty and peace in an increasingly interdependent world. Importantly, it also promotes critical thinking to help students differentiate between propaganda, indoctrination, opinion, and truth. In a world of fake news, artificial intelligence and geopolitical polarization, this may be the most important element of patriotic education, equipping students with the skills to recognize and combat false narratives wherever they appear.
The author is a British historian and former principal of Sha Tin College, an international secondary school in Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
