Mainland study says Hong Kong should legally recognize simplified Chinese and Mandarin
Hong Kong should enact laws to recognize the written and spoken language used in the mainland, according to a study commissioned by China’s education ministry.
Simplified Chinese and Mandarin, both used in the mainland, should be given clear legal status in Hong Kong in order to enhance the city’s recognition of China, researchers said in the study on languages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Hong Kong uses traditional Chinese characters and Cantonese as its de-facto standard forms of language.
The study, issued by the mainland’s education ministry on Wednesday and compiled by researchers at Guangzhou University, suggested that Hong Kong should incorporate Mandarin into its public exams so as to enhance the language’s status in primary and secondary schools.
Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao should also work together on plans to nurture language talents, the researchers said in the study.
Former Hong Kong education legislator Ip Kin-yuen said those who compiled the study might not fully understand Hong Kong, as the city already had an exam system for Mandarin. This included an assessment of teachers’ Mandarin abilities and a test organized by mainland Chinese authorities, Ip said.
Documents written in simplified Chinese were also legally recognized in Hong Kong even though the city habitually uses traditional Chinese, he said.
Ip said Cantonese is a vibrant spoken language and its position should not be eroded due to Hong Kong’s special role under the “one country, two systems” principle.
Beijing loyalists Priscilla Leung and Wong Kwok-kin praised the study and said it could help merge Hong Kong with mainland China.
Hong Kong’s Education Bureau declined to comment on whether it would accept the study’s suggestions.
In its reply to Apple Daily’s inquiries, the bureau said that Mandarin was taught in all primary and secondary schools and that it attached great importance to the lives of Hongkongers moving to the mainland in the future.
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