Chinese University of Hong Kong Uses School Event and Anti-Communist Founder to Promote CCP Propaganda

Scholars: It is despicable, disgusting, to hijack the dead for political purposes

Students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) hold black balloons and placards as they gather at the statue of the "Goddess of Democracy" at a protest on campus in memory of the pro-democracy demonstrations at CUHK a year ago, during graduation festivities in the Shatin area of Hong Kong on November 19, 2020. (Photo by Yan ZHAO / AFP) (Photo by YAN ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)

On Feb. 20, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held a patriotic event at the New Asia College Plaza. During the program, the university organized a performance with artificial intelligence to show its loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and stirred controversy in the education and academic industry.

Using artificial intelligence, holographic projection, and audio video, the university reproduced images of Ch'ien Mu, the anti-communist founder of the New Asia College of CUHK, to promote national education and patriotism.

Hong Kong scholars immediately pointed out that Ch‘ien was anti-communist, criticized the CUHK event as “disgusting,” and “seriously distorted Ch’ien’s original intent and the spirit of founding the college.”

The scholars stated Ch'ien explicitly noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would destroy traditional Chinese culture. That was why he fled mainland China and sought refuge in Hong Kong before establishing the New Asia College.

Hong Kong writers condemned the Chinese University of Hong Kong for playing with the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda. They questioned if the collaboration was worth betraying its founding father, Ch'ien, in such a way.

Back From the Dead

On the evening of Feb. 20, Wuxi Overseas Fellowship Association hosted a music performance of “Friend From The Past” at the outdoor plaza of New Asia College. The evening program included, Chinese music, Cantonese opera, and Wuxi opera.

In one of the performances, Ch'ien, the school’s founder, was brought “back to life” using technology, holographic projection, and artificial intelligence.

During the performance, the projected Ch'ien expressed his nostalgia, and the anti-communist scholar sent a reminder supporting the cooperation between Wuxi and Hong Kong.

CUHK Shows Loyalty to CCP

On the projection screen, words appeared, “If there is no common ideal, there would not have been a China. There would not have been a historic China of 5,000 years. Today, we share the same common ideal with humanity.”

Scholars expressed that the entire performance was an insult to Ch'ien.

In the closing act, performers sang a pro-Beijing song, Ode to the Motherland. A massive five-star flag of China appeared on the projection screen.

According to research data, Wuxi Overseas Fellowship Association comes from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, where Ch'ien was born.

The event organizers include the Wuxi Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau and the Wuxi National High-tech Industrial Development Zone of the Xinwu District, Wuxi City.

The co-organizer was China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CECC) in Wuxi City.

Performers included China Opera and Dance Theatre, Wuxi Song and Dance Theatre, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and New Asia College National Music Association.

CUHK Alumni Infuriated

Former External Vice President of the disbanded CUHK student union, Robert Luo Tsz-wai, emphasized, “Ch'ien Mu’s ideals are absolutely against working with the Chinese Communist Party.”

Luo said the righteous spirit of New Asia College was to have backbone, ambition, and drive. “Since the government implemented the National Security Law, CUHK has deteriorated. The university management fully obeys the guideline and reviews drafted by the Hong Kong government. It greatly suppressed the autonomy of students and institutions.”

Luo said it was shameful for CUHK to organize the performance to butter up the Chinese Communist Party.

Guests from CCP to HKGov

The Epoch Times reporters found a news release issued on the morning of Feb. 21 of the CUHK event.

The news release noted that, Du Xiaogang, Secretary of Wuxi Municipal Party Committee; Zhang Zhihua, Director of the Youth Work Department of the Liaison Office; Chan Wai-yee, Vice President of CUHK; Hector Chan Sun-on, Associate Vice President of CUHK, Dean of New Asia College, Xu Feng, Zhou Changqing, Qin Yongxin, the Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, and Asian Tourism Exchange Center were on the event guest list.

But reporters found that Du Xiaogang, the Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Party Committee, was not present at the event.

According to the reports by the CCP Hong Kong media, Wen Wei Po, and Ta Kung Pao, Du Xiaogang met with Yu Fachang, committee member of Everbright Holdings, deputy general manager, and chairman of the board of directors of Everbright Holdings, at the Hong Kong Everbright Center on Feb. 21.

On Feb. 22, Du Xiaogang attended the unveiling activities of the Wuxi and Xigang Collaborative Innovation Center of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and (Wuxi) Innovation and Technology Center of the City University of Hong Kong.

As an alumnus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, local scholar Chung Kim-hung condemned the university event during an interview with The Epoch Times on Feb. 22.

Chung said, “The activities are despicable, disgusting, outrageous, to hijack the dead for political purposes.”

Chung stated that Ch'ien, an anti-communist scholar, said that the Chinese Communist Party would destroy Chinese traditional culture. So he fled the mainland and worked hard to establish the New Asia College in Hong Kong.

Chung blasted the CUHK management for betraying Ch‘ien. The performance event critically distorted  Ch’ien’s original intent for the university. “It is crystal clear that the education of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has completely lost its soul.”

The scholar recalled that it was not the first time the regime used an anti-communist and famous figure to distort history to achieve their evil means. “Earlier, during the CCTV Spring Festival New Year’s Eve party program, the CCP projected Teresa Teng Li-chun’s image from a holographic projection to sing for “compatriots in the motherland.” The activity of CUHK was an imitation.”

Eternal Queen Of Mandopop Was a Democratic Supporter

Chung pointed out that Teng once said she did not seek gigs in mainland China because Teng supported democratic development. Before Taiwan began pursuing democracy, Teng was already at the front line of Kinmen, Taiwan, singing for the Taiwanese army.

After the June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre, Teng stood tall with democracy. Even though Teng was a sought-after singer in China, she refused any concert on the mainland.

On Oct. 4, 1980, the Eternal Queen of Mandopop told her fans in a concert at the Nation Memorial Hall, “If one day I can sing on the mainland of China, that will be the day of realizing The Three Principles of the People on the mainland.”

Hong Kong writer Fung Hei-kin expressed his suspicion on Facebook on Feb. 22 whether the CUHK was worthy of its pioneer Ch'ien. Fung criticized the university for using the dead to promote propaganda.

The writer thought that everyone knew Ch'ien was anti-communist.

Fung added, “When Ch'ien said not to forget you are Chinese, he was talking about the discussion of ideas, not nostalgia.”

Fung also said the ‘China” Ch’ien referred to can only be the Republic of China (Taiwan), not the People’s Republic of China (China).

Fung was critical of CUHK for cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda promotion tactics, taking Ch'ien’s words out of context and dubbing them into their distorted, fabricated history.

On top of that, Fung said, “The CCP also used their twisted truth to promote an integrated development zone of the science, technology, and innovation industry.”

Who Was Ch'ien Mu?

Ch‘ien Mu was a famous scholar and thinker in modern China. He was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in 1895. From 1912 to 1930, Ch’ien taught in primary, middle school, and universities.

Mao’s public denouncement of Ch'ien caused him to flee.

In 1930, Ch‘ien served as a lecturer in Chinese literature at Yanjing University, then an associate professor at the Department of History of Peking University. Ch’ien also served as a professor of history at Tsinghua University, Yanjing, and Peiping Normal University.

In August 1949, Mao Zedong published an article called “Cast Away Illusion, Prepare for Struggle,” specifically criticizing scholars Hu Shi, Fu Sinian, and Ch'ien.

Mao described the three as an ‘extreme minority’ controlled by the imperialists and its anti-Chinese reactionary government.

Ch'ien and Hong Kong

At the time, Ch‘ien was invited by the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese University to teach in Guangzhou. In October 1949, Ch’ien moved to Hong Kong with the relocation of Overseas Chinese University.

After arriving in Hong Kong, Ch'ien saw that many young exiles were desperate with nowhere to go. So he founded the Asian Cultural and Commercial Night College.

In 1950, Ch‘ien, Tang Junyi, and Zhang Pijie regrouped and turned the night college into New Asia College, where Ch’ien became the first principal.

Ch'ien publicly wrote in the school journal: “The college was founded in the autumn of 1949. At the time, the Chinese Communist Party deliberately destroyed the nation’s culture. New Asia College specifically promotes Chinese culture as its highest purpose of education.”

Ch'ien continued, “Under today’s democratic and totalitarian struggle, Chinese youth should correctly understand their minds. So they will not go astray. Or else, it will not only mislead their future but also harm the country, nation, and world peace.”

Ch'ien Mu died in 1990 at the age of 96. Professor Yu Yingshi, his former student, called Qian “the forever soul of his hometown.”