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HK creates cadet group modelled after PLA

HONG KONG — Hong Kong has inaugurated a student cadet group that will practise foot drills from China’s People’s Liberation Army and wear similar uniforms, as almost three months of pro-democracy protests led to increased scrutiny of the city’s youths.

HONG KONG — Hong Kong has inaugurated a student cadet group that will practise foot drills from China’s People’s Liberation Army and wear similar uniforms, as almost three months of pro-democracy protests led to increased scrutiny of the city’s youths.

Dozens of students from universities and secondary schools joined the Hong Kong Army Cadets group at a ceremony on Sunday in Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base in the city, the state-run China Daily reported yesterday.

“The new voluntary uniformed youth group aims to promote civic awareness, a sense of responsibility and rights as Chinese citizens and personal qualities such as perseverance, self-discipline and leadership among youngsters,” the newspaper said.

The cadet group highlights China’s rising concern with Hong Kong’s students, who led the unprecedented protests in September last year seeking to remove Chinese limits on the city’s election. The 11-week protests were the biggest challenge to Chinese sovereignty of the city since its return from British colonial rule in 1997.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying last week criticised a university publication in his annual policy address for advocating self-determination and said young people needed to be guided better.

Mr Leung’s wife, Regina, is the cadet group’s commander and was seen being chauffeured into the base, while former Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa is its honorary chairman, the China Daily reported. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Mr Zhang Xiaoming, director of China’s liaison office in the city. BLOOMBERG

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