Is it true Mainland China wants Mandarin as the official language in Hong Kong?
Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at
12:47 pm
Is there an official language in Hong Kong for now? what’s it?
Tagged with: hong kong
Filed under: Learn to Speak Mandarin
The Basic Law of HK stipulates that the City’s life style and systems will remain no change for at least 50 years. Cantonese and English are the 2 official languages of Hong Kong. Beijing has been letting Hong Kong tremendous free hand and no sign that the Central Govt going to change this relatioship. That said, nowadays it’s beneficial for job and business oppotunities if one knows Mandarin. Mandarin is a subject being taught in schools but majority of school curriculum is taught in English and Cantonese.
Recently Guangzhou has a crises over the language issue when some of the TV stations were ordered to scrap Cantonese programs in lieu of Mandarin, many GZ people took to the streets to protest, at the end the govt came out to explain no replacement of Cantonese programs planned.
To answer this question. As you know Hong Kong is a SAR, special adminstration Region of the PRC, Chinese Republic of China.There is no mandatory all citizens in Hong Kong must speak and know, Mandarin at this time. Currently, the official language for the adminstration in Hong Kong are English and Cantonese.But the higher ranking officials working for Hong Kong Goverment must know Mandarin in order to commuicate with chinese officials. In the future, who knows, Mandarin maybe the official language in HK. Most people in Hong Kong knows Mandarin anyway, it is not a problem for them.
Hope this gives you an idea. Thanks for asking.