If Chris Wat is as patriotic as she claims, why did she not choose China over Britain for her daughter’s studies, netizens have asked. Photos: ganaf.com, RTHK
Netizens are tearing into an outspoken pro-Beijing columnist for calling Hong Kong people ignorant, dismissing her as a “superficial patriot”.
They’re accusing media veteran Chris Wat of hypocrisy after a Sept. 11 op-ed in Sky Post in which she compared Hongkongers to the ignorant hare in the Aesop fable.
She said Hongkongers don’t understand that Hong Kong and China are not rivals.
Wat cited her daughter’s experiences in Britain as an example of how Hongkongers and mainlanders use English to communicate instead of a Chinese language or dialect.
She said Hongkongers speak English with a distinctive Hong Kong accent and can’t communicate well in Mandarin.
On the other hand, mainlanders are fluent in both Mandarin and English, she said.
Barrister David Tang accused Wat of using the article to brag that her daughter studies in Britain.
In a blog post, Tang said Wat should have sent her daughter to China if she was a true patriot.
“In short, Wat is simply another superficial patriot,” he said.
Netizens weighed in, saying Wat should not take her daughter’s views or experiences and apply them to the rest of Hong Kong.
Some said Wat has no business discussing English proficiency if she really cares that much about Mandarin.
In May, Wat quit her column in Ming Pao Daily, citing attacks by netizens who oppose her views.
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