Competing citizenship identities in the global age: The case of Hong Kong

Abstract

This article explores the struggles between differing of multiple citizenship identities of Hong Kong people. Firstly, it discusses the tension caused by contesting portraits of local identity of being 'Hongkongese' by comparing the version portrayed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the version reflected in the political experiences of Hong Kong people. Then it explores the tensions caused by competing versions of national identity as reflected in the debates in civic education, followed by the exploration of the tension between the local identity of being Hongkongese and the national identity of being Chinese in the context of grand projects on national education by the government. Then, the article investigates conflicting global and national identities, and the inadequacy of global identity portrayed by the HKSAR government. Finally, it argues that a comprehensive global identity could make a greater contribution to China, as both Hong Kong and China are marching forward together sharing a common fate, in facing a rapidly globalizing era. Hopefully, this article will serve as an example of how conflicting multiple identities could be addressed in the global era.