On Shaping and Consolidating the Basic Law Identification

Ever since 01 July 1997, the lack of national identity in Hong Kong residents has always been an issue that the Hong Kong government tries to address, whereas the “oath-taking incident” in October 2016 shows how little the Hong Kong government has achieved so far on this matter. The lack of national identity in Hong Kong means not only that some Hong Kong residents see themselves as “Hong-Konger” rather than “Chinese.” It can have multiple negative impacts on the future of Hong Kong and on the state-building in China. “One Country, Two Systems” cannot be said to be successful if the “return of Hong Kong” means only resumption in a sovereign sense. For Hong Kong to integrate with China in a full sense, more efforts need to be made on cultivating national identity in Hong Kong residents. After the setback of patriotism and nationalism in Hong Kong, a more feasible approach would be shaping and consolidating an inclusive identity which allows for the coexistence of local identity and national identity. In this context, the Basic Law identification might be the right answer, for under the Hong Kong Basic Law, there is room for both local identity and national identities.