Forgot where but didn't the CCP say something along the lines of a tighter grip on the HK government and a complete redo of the HK education with Chinese patriotism being a higher focus. They said they will teach HK their history of their country under British rule.
I think this is the big question and I'm not sure there is anything the central government can do in the short term.
Someone mentioned exchange programs a few weeks ago, already trying:
Pro-China cirriculum, rejected before:
I believe only time will solve the problem.
1. The current crop of teachers is primarily educated in Western countries or Colonial period when Tiananmen Square was still a big deal. They will eventually retire.
It's been nearly 40 years, but most anti-China propaganda talks about it like it was yesterday. Who believes that Germany will backslide into Nazism? That was only 80 years ago. Will the US reestablish segregation? Only 60 years ago...
Many of the rioters and peaceful protesters reminisce of halcyon colonial days, at under 30 years old, it is not a reality for them. Only one constructed by these teachers and politicians with agendas influenced by what was recent history for them.
2. Economy will have to suffer partial collapse and recovery.
Hong Kong's economy has always relied on trading between PRC and Western countries. Regular people are not objective, or well-informed, other ideas swirl in their head (one SCMP article described youth's ideal HK as Cantonese speaking enclave, no mainland tourists, no chain stores that cater to these tourists, etc.). A naive and absurd notion, as conglomerates already took over HK in colonial period. Swire Group owns property, Cathy, Coca-Cola bottling, etc. Jardine Matheson (a company whose fortune was built on opium smuggling) owns 7-11 franchise rights, property, Hotels etc. Nothing to do with Mainland China, Communist Party, or Mandarin speakers.
Since they are acting like children, they might only learn like children, let them run the government and partially wreck the economy. Once the people have no jobs and no money, they will come to their senses (learning from their mistakes).
3. Other gradual changes over time. Many people have already pointed out the obvious, the same discontent does not exist in the rest of China as it does in HK (despite being "less free"). The irony is that for the last few decades, PRC government has been very responsive to society despite not being elected in the Western style. As I mentioned, I think it is impossible to improve the situation without some political reforms. Central government just needs to be confident in their ability to shape the important policies in HK as they do in Mainland.
