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Opinion
Why national defence education would benefit Hong Kong
National defence education is being advanced in mainland China, and Hong Kong must keep up. It could also help toughen up the city’s teens
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Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, part-time researcher at Shenzhen University Hong Kong and the Macau Basic Law research centre, chairman of the Chinese Dream Think Tank and a Hong Kong district councillor.
Traditionally, military capability and war-readiness are the most important aspects of national security. In compliance with President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on a holistic approach towards national security, which he first unveiled in 2014, it is necessary to study and promote the concept. Nevertheless, military-centred national defence must not become a secondary concern.
The military plays an indispensable role in maintaining resource security, internet security, ecological security and other types of security. It is of fundamental importance that national defence education should also be promoted.
Our perception shapes our attitude. Because some Hongkongers view external security threats through the traditional lens of foreign invasion, they do not realise that the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong are subject to the wild swings of Sino-American relations. Exaggeration of China’s economic vulnerabilities by some Western media may indirectly destabilise the Hong Kong economy.
Nor do Hongkongers have a proper understanding of the threats posed by Western ideological infiltration and cognitive warfare. As a result, the importance of national security comes more easily to the lips of some young people than their hearts.
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