China - China shouldn't feel threatened by diversity

Last week, the Washington Post reported on a survey conducted last month by the University of Hong Kong which found that more people living in the Chinese territory identify themselves as Hong Kongers rather than Chinese.

The number of Hong Kong residents who identify with their city was more than double the number of those who see themselves as Chinese.

Chinese officials were not pleased by the results of the survey and other indicators showing that Hong Kong's population is not moving towards greater identification with the People's Republic of China, even though it has been 15 years since Hong Kong's handover from Britain in 1997.

The Chinese authorities aired their displeasure in the media, accusing some in Hong Kong of "disloyalty".

The Washington Post also reported that, earlier this month, several hundred Hong Kong residents protested in a shopping district, claiming that their city is being swamped by millions of Chinese tourists who visited the city mostly for shopping.

The bigger issue is that some in Hong Kong seem to feel that their identity is in danger of being lost, and China's denunciation of their sentiments are unlikely to make them love the "motherland" more.

In fact, China's actions will likely backfire and push even more people in Hong Kong towards a stronger Hong Kong identity. China should, in fact, do the opposite and embrace the concept of diversity.

China was united only recently in modern history and it was not so long ago that it was humiliatingly occupied by foreign powers. So, the authorities are understandably sensitive to notions of "division".

But as a country with some 1.3 billion people, the simple reality is that China contains a great many identities.

Instead of trying to cram "unity" down the throats of Tibetans, Uighurs, Hong Kongers and others who have a special history and culture, Beijing should learn to celebrate and promote diversity.

Shanghai is very different from Xian, which is in turn very different from Harbin.

Allowing the residents of cities and regions to take pride in their local identity will not lead to the dissolution of China, but will actually strengthen the nation as local residents feel secure knowing they are respected and appreciated by Beijing.

In any case, the authorities may be going against a trend as the future looks set to be one of identification with cities and regions as megacities continue to appear all over the world.

When people of the future ask, "Where are you from?", the answer will probably have more to do with the megacity one lives in than the nationality written in one's passport.

Many in Taiwan have looked across the strait at Hong Kong and see little attraction in the "one country, two systems" formula.

If China hopes to come to some sort of a unity agreement with Taiwan, it is going to have to get a lot less sensitive about how ethnically different Chinese people in different parts of the country identify themselves.

The China Post/Asia News Network

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