Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities
Why have separatist sentiments increased in Hong Kong despite of China’s growing economic attractiveness? This question is critical for China–Hong Kong relations. However, few studies have explored it from a comparative perspective. This study compares Hong Kong and mainland college students’ nation...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Current Chinese Affairs |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102619886597 |
| _version_ | 1828554822319603712 |
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| author | Qin Pang Fan Jiang |
| author_facet | Qin Pang Fan Jiang |
| author_sort | Qin Pang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Why have separatist sentiments increased in Hong Kong despite of China’s growing economic attractiveness? This question is critical for China–Hong Kong relations. However, few studies have explored it from a comparative perspective. This study compares Hong Kong and mainland college students’ national identities by making a series of interlocked surveys and interviews from 2012 to 2016. It shows that Hong Kong students have a much lower sociopolitical identity with China, which proves to be the primary cause for their separatist tendencies. Although they hold a comparably strong pan-Chinese economic identity, it does not strengthen their sociopolitical identity as it does for mainland students. This can be attributed to their post-materialist framework through which they are unlikely to believe that economic development alone can bring sociopolitical improvements. The findings imply that China faces serious difficulties in turning its economic strength into political charm in societies with strong post-materialist values. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:42:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-771ad6f819ec4f72bde8e07596aad12c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1868-1026 1868-4874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:42:36Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Current Chinese Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-771ad6f819ec4f72bde8e07596aad12c2022-12-22T00:35:52ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Current Chinese Affairs1868-10261868-48742019-04-014810.1177/1868102619886597Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National IdentitiesQin Pang0Fan Jiang1 School of International Relations, Sun Yat-sen University; Institute of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China International School of Business and Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaWhy have separatist sentiments increased in Hong Kong despite of China’s growing economic attractiveness? This question is critical for China–Hong Kong relations. However, few studies have explored it from a comparative perspective. This study compares Hong Kong and mainland college students’ national identities by making a series of interlocked surveys and interviews from 2012 to 2016. It shows that Hong Kong students have a much lower sociopolitical identity with China, which proves to be the primary cause for their separatist tendencies. Although they hold a comparably strong pan-Chinese economic identity, it does not strengthen their sociopolitical identity as it does for mainland students. This can be attributed to their post-materialist framework through which they are unlikely to believe that economic development alone can bring sociopolitical improvements. The findings imply that China faces serious difficulties in turning its economic strength into political charm in societies with strong post-materialist values.https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102619886597 |
| spellingShingle | Qin Pang Fan Jiang Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities Journal of Current Chinese Affairs |
| title | Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities |
| title_full | Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities |
| title_fullStr | Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities |
| title_short | Hong Kong’s Growing Separatist Tendencies against China’s Rise: Comparing Mainland and Hong Kong College Students’ National Identities |
| title_sort | hong kong s growing separatist tendencies against china s rise comparing mainland and hong kong college students national identities |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102619886597 |
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