SAR welcomes nation’s new patriotic education law
The SAR government said late on Tuesday that it welcomed the passage by the National People's Congress Standing Committee of a patriotic education law that’s intended to promote the spirit of patriotism. The legislation will take effect on January 1, and includes specific provisions on patriotic education for different groups, including people in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Chief Executive John Lee said in a statement: “The HKSAR government has been working together with various sectors of the community to promote patriotic education, with a view to enhancing the sense of national identity and patriotism of different sectors of the community. “The HKSAR government will fully facilitate the relevant work to co-ordinate within the government and also the patriotic forces of different sectors in making persistent efforts to promote patriotic education, so as to enable the public to gain further knowledge of the history, culture and rapid development in all aspects of our country and understand the close relationship between mainland and Hong Kong." The statement said the laws covered matters such as ideology, politics, history and culture, as well as national symbols and “the magnificent scenery and historical and cultural heritage of the motherland, constitution and law, national unity and ethnic solidarity, national security and defence, and the deeds of heroes and martyrs and role models”. The Standing Committee’s sixth session also adopted a Marine Environment Protection Law and approved the issuance of government bonds worth one trillion yuan.