Hong Kong releases a guide to prevent premarital intimacy. The authorities are becoming a global laughingstock – but are also creating a new way to flirt.
Who gives such advice to young people? The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Hong Kong has published a 70-page guide on dealing with premarital intimacy. An English version is available for download on the official website. The focus is clearly on guiding young people to prevent unwanted pregnancies, for example. While this approach may not be inherently unusual for a government agency, details from the booklet are raising eyebrows – and creating a completely new way to flirt.
Recommendations Cause Amusement
What does the bureau recommend? Really badminton, instead of…? Yes, really. In a chapter featuring case studies to present young people with certain situations where they might be tempted to give in to each other and make out, they offer a sporty tip: Play badminton instead to distract yourselves from desire.
This has led to much amusement, but also head-shaking. For example, there is a post on Facebook that humorously juxtaposes the implicit flirting of “Netflix and chill?” with the new Chinese equivalent: “Shall we play badminton together?” The authorities dismiss the criticism that they are out of touch with the youth as unfounded, as BBC reports: “We want to protect young people,” insists Christine Choi, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education.
Does Hong Kong have any other interesting advice for its youth? Yes, indeed. The guide also includes a fillable form where young people commit to chastity and moral behavior. Furthermore, the bureau advises dressing decently to avoid stimulating anyone around them with visual cues.
How does the public react in Hong Kong? There is no representative survey available, but the subjective impressions of the media from an outside perspective, as well as comments from citizens of the metropolis, paint a clear picture: The advice is perceived as bizarre and unrealistic. BBC features a father of a daughter (13) and a son (10):
The Hong Kong government is clueless; they are making a fool of themselves. My wife and I will handle the education ourselves; it is not the job of the school or the state.
Is Hong Kong acting independently here? After all, it belongs to China, right? In the case of Hong Kong, questions about independent actions and decisions are difficult to answer because, on paper, the metropolis retains its autonomy as a Special Administrative Region even after its return to China. In practice, however, this is much less clear. The Chinese influence is significant, but the guide applies only to Hong Kong. It does not pertain to mainland China.
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