China Wants Revisions In Hong Kong Textbooks

Hong Kong must revise its history books to bring them in line with the views of the Chinese government, a state-run newspaper said Tuesday.

The commentary in the China Daily gave examples of what China wants changed when it resumes control over Hong Kong on July 1.

The paper said Hong Kong textbooks teach that British gunboats waged the Opium War of 1839-1842 to force open China’s markets and end the imperial government’s restrictions on the opium trade.

China views the war as the beginning of its slide into semi-colonial status at the hands of European powers. It maintains Britain was forcing sales of opium at a high cost to China in social disruption.

The article also said Hong Kong textbooks are wrong to say China invaded Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War. China calls it the “War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.”