A Study on Hong Kong-Chinese Mainland Cross-Border Students’ Perceptions of Social Identity about Their University Pursuits and Future Career Choices ()
1. Introduction
Every weekday morning, nearly 30,000 students commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong for school, returning to their Shenzhen residences in the afternoon (Waters & Leung, 2020). Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border and ports. These students, known as Hong Kong-Shenzhen cross-border students, encompass children whose families reside in Shenzhen but attend educational institutions in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Legislative Council, 2009). Additionally, these students are referred to as “Double-not children,” indicating that their parents are not permanent residents of Hong Kong. As per the ruling of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in July 2001, all babies born in Hong Kong to Chinese nationals are considered permanent residents of Hong Kong with the right of abode (The Director of Immigration v Chong Fung Yuen, 2001). Table 1 indicates that the number of Hong Kong-Shenzhen cross-border students was approximately 8000 in 2009 (Chan et al., 2014) and increased to 30,000 in 2018 (Office of Port of Entry and Exit of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, 2018).
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Figure 1. Map of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border and ports. Source: Leung & Waters (2022).
Table 1. Number of cross-border students in Hong Kong. Source: Chan et al. (2014).
| School year |
Kindergarten |
Primary school |
Secondary school |
Total |
| 2002/2003 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 2003/2004 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 2004/2005 |
733 |
2589 |
481 |
3803 |
| 2005/2006 |
962 |
2998 |
538 |
4498 |
| 2006/2007 |
797 |
2878 |
799 |
4474 |
| 2007/2008 |
1456 |
3466 |
937 |
5859 |
| 2008/2009 |
1780 |
3910 |
1078 |
6768 |
| 2009/2010 |
2681 |
4090 |
1267 |
8038 |
| 2010/2011 |
3786 |
4575 |
1538 |
9899 |
| 2011/2012 |
5708 |
5276 |
1881 |
12,865 |
| 2012/2013 |
7454 |
6749 |
2153 |
16,356 |
Because of this long-term cross-border studying and living in Hong Kong and Shenzhen and their parents are all from Chinese mainland, these cross-border students have double social identity recognition for themselves: Hongkongers and Chinese mainland residents. Hence, based on their double social identity recognition background, this paper would like to investigate whether this special social identity recognition will make a difference in their future studying and working choices.
2. Literature Review
There are several previous studies have done research against Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border students from various dimensions.
The research conducted by Chan, Ngan, Wong, and Chan (2017) examines the impact of the government’s strict border controls on cross-border schooling and the resulting formation of cross-border families. The study sheds light on diverse family arrangements that employ cross-border education as a strategic approach. The findings underscore the importance of a historical perspective, the broader context of migration studies, the government’s role in immigrant families, and a unique understanding of child migrants.
Chiu and Choi (2019) conducted a study on common border crossings, identifying four maternal strategies to assist children in navigating acculturation challenges. Their research underscored the significance of cultural membership as symbolic boundaries that discredit outsiders’ claims to citizenship. Moreover, it emphasized the vital role of parents in facilitating their children’s ability to transcend rigid symbolic boundaries and resolve identity ambivalence in divided territories. Chan and Ngan (2018) also examined the relationship between border policies, family structures, and mobility, with a focus on cross-border students from Shenzhen, China, holding Hong Kong residency for educational purposes. Their study delineated changes in Hong Kong’s border and immigration policies since 1997 and categorized family unit types based on status, citizenship rights, and mobility. The researchers presented four case studies of students with diverse border-crossing experiences to elucidate how border control can either restrict or enhance family mobility, thereby perpetuating societal inequalities.
In researching Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border students, Johanna Waters and Maggi Leung have done many studies and works which can provide valuable reference experience and information for research in cross-border students, and the following is a compilation of the findings of two scholars in recent years. The paper examines cross-boundary schooling, a daily commute for over 30,000 children over the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border. It examines the role of materiality and habit in directing children to adhere to a rigid routine. The study finds that the border’s material structures are crucial for the functioning of cross-boundary schooling, and the notions of rhythm and habit help understand the flow of educational mobilities (Waters & Leung, 2020). In 2021, their paper pulls insights from a contemporary scholarly investigation centred around the phenomenon of cross-border schooling at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border. The research underscores three pivotal facets in its findings: the tangible realities of the border, the critical role of routine, and the persistent fatigue and unrelenting exhaustion encountered daily by the participating children and their parents. The study further illuminates the themes of “Changing Places” and “Globalization” within this context (Waters & Leung, 2021). They were also from the trans-urban mobility perspective to research this topic. It provides visual representations of the collaboration between schools, buses, escorts, tutoring centres, daycare and boarding houses (Leung & Waters, 2022). Social exclusion is also a critical dimension in Leung and Waters’ research (Leung & Waters, 2022). They analyze the exclusion processes affecting children, using policy analysis, interviews, and observations. The paper focuses on intermediary spaces’ role in shaping social differences and relationships and explores the power dynamics in children’s school journeys and school-related digital space, where social differences unfold, and exclusion is negotiated. The paper also examines the interplay of state and non-state actors in these spaces, highlighting the complex intersections of separation, integration, exclusion, and inclusion.
Choi and Lai (2022) conducted a study that delves into the phenomenon of birth tourism, encompassing the diverse manifestations of cross-border children. The study further explores how children articulate their experiences of migration, the adaptive strategies they employ to acclimate to their new surroundings, and the resulting implications on their identity, conduct, emotions, and overall well-being.
In a recent study on cross-border students, a quantitative survey was conducted involving 505 international students to examine their perceptions of Putonghua, English, Cantonese, and local dialects and their self-identities. Findings reveal that Putonghua received the highest ratings in both integrative and instrumental dimensions, while the local dialect received the lowest instrumental rating, and English had the lowest integrative score (Liang, Huang, & Zhao, 2024).
The study of cross-border students has been addressed by scholars based in Chinese mainland, who have conducted research from macro perspectives. In their paper, Chen and Nai (2012) delve into the origins of cross-border students, offering a critical reevaluation of the existing supportive policies for Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border students. Similarly, Liang (2020) provides an analysis of the current state of cross-border student education and proposes strategic measures aimed at improving the effectiveness of education for cross-border schoolchildren. These measures include the promotion of “inclusive” and “diversified” school education, as well as the strengthening of collaboration between home and school, and community education.
A study conducted by Chi, Hong, and Xie (2019) sheds light on the educational preferences of cross-border students from Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The study reveals that 60% of these students were inclined towards attending schools in Hong Kong while nearly 40% remained undecided about their educational path. The research also provides a comprehensive analysis of the identity status of cross-border students indicating that the majority primarily identify with Hong Kong. This association is influenced by factors such as birthplace, parental expectations, duration of attending Hong Kong schools, participation in school activities, active usage of Cantonese, and negative experiences in both cities. These findings underscore the significance of alternative educational models for cross-border students and their strong affiliation with the educational system in Hong Kong.
3. Social Identity Theory
The concept of social identity has gained significant importance in the field of social psychology following the introduction of Social Identity Theory (SIT) by Tajfel (1978), Tajfel and Turner (1979), respectively.
The early research on social identity used to consider it as a one-dimensional concept, focusing on the general attachment to an in-group. However, recent evidence within the field suggests that this approach is insufficient (Ashmore, Deaux, & McLaughlin-Volpe, 2004). Original definition of social identity in Tajfel (1978) as an individual’s knowledge of belonging to a social group, as well as the emotional and value significance of that group membership, indicates that social identity is multifaceted and involves various dimensions.
According to Cameron (2004), he created a model and a valid measure of social identity that is based on the in-group identification of real-world groups. This model encompasses the elements of self-investment category of Leach et al. (2008) of social identification. The model describes social identity as having three dimensions: cognitive centrality, in-group affect, and in-group ties.
4. Research Design
According to the existing papers and reports, seldom do these papers and reports research the future development (such as further studying and working place choice) of cross-border students; hence this research hopes to investigate the choice of cross-border students and what factors will affect their choice.
This research adopts interviews as the main research method for cross-border students. The interviews took place on May 10, May 11 and May 12, 2024. The following context provides detailed information on preparing and conducting the interview.
Against the research gap this research finding, this research aims to reach two objectives against cross-border students: Firstly, this research hopes to investigate the impact of Chinese mainland-Hong Kong cross-border schooling and living patterns on cross-border students’ social identity recognition. Secondly, after examining the social identity recognition of cross-border students, this research hopes to investigate the impact of Chinese mainland-Hong Kong cross-border students’ social identity recognition on their choice of future studying and work.
4.1. Research Sample Choosing
As this research focuses on cross-border students’ issues, this research chooses four Chinese mainland-Hong Kong cross-border students, three of them are in year 5 of secondary school and the rest one in year 4 of secondary school in Tuen Mun District and are residing in Shenzhen as my research samples.
Regarding the method of sample selection, this study adopted a snowball method to select cross-border students to be interviewed. Firstly, this study interviewed student A, who has frequent daily contact with cross-border students, and then student B, who was introduced by student A. Although student A and student B do not study in the same secondary school, they were primary school classmates and still maintain close contact and interaction with each other. Student C and student D were introduced by student A’s parent, who were friends with student C and student D’s parents.
All of these cross-border students’ families are typical Cantonese families and are middle class in Shenzhen. Against the gender of these cross-border students, two of them are boys and the other two are girls. Table 2 is the overview of the interview students’ circumstances.
Table 2. The circumstances of the interview students.
| Student |
Gender |
Language |
Subject |
School Location |
School Year |
| Student A |
F |
C, M, E |
Arts |
Tuen Mun |
Year 5 |
| Student B |
F |
C, M, E |
Sciences |
Tuen Mun |
Year 5 |
| Student C |
M |
C, M, E |
Sciences |
Tuen Mun |
Year 5 |
| Student D |
M |
M, E |
Sciences |
Tuen Mun |
Year 4 |
F: Female, M: Male, C: Cantonese, M: Mandarin, E: English.
4.2. Interview Questions Design
To gain real feedback on the research objectives, the interview questions are distributed into three parts. Table 3 shows the overview of the interview questions.
Table 3. The details of the interview questions.
Social Identity
Dimensions |
Questions |
The purposes of the questions |
| In-group Ties |
What are some of the areas and
regions of entertainment and games that you like to follow and browse in your spare time? |
Breaking the barrier of
communication with interviewees & observing which region is
preferred by the respondents through their socio-cultural
preferences. |
| Which region do you prefer to make friends with? |
In-group
Affect |
Do you think there is a difference between the social culture of
Hong Kong and that of the
Chinese mainland? |
Contrasting these two questions’ feedback with the previous two questions’ answers and exploring whether their daily social activities would have an impact on their
social and cultural identification with Hong Kong |
Which social and cultural
environment do you prefer, Hong Kong or Chinese mainland? |
| Do you plan to attend university in Chinese mainland or Hong Kong in the future? |
Collecting their idea and plan of their future studying, working, and living place choosing |
| Where do you plan to work and live in the future after completing your studies? |
Cognitive
Centrality |
What is your social identity to
yourself? |
Getting direct and clear
feedback on their real view of their identification |
Firstly, the interview will begin with an entertainment and relaxation question: “What are some of the areas and regions of entertainment and gaming that you like to follow and browse in your spare time?” The following question is about their preference to make friends: “Which region do you prefer to make friends with?” Through these two questions, we hope to try to break the barrier of communication with interviewees, and also can initially observe and understand which region is preferred by the respondents through their socio-cultural preferences.
Then, to investigate whether they suppose there is a cultural difference between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and which culture they prefer, the interview was designed following two questions: “Do you think there is a difference between the social culture of Hong Kong and that of the Chinese mainland?” And “Which social and cultural environment do you prefer, Hong Kong or Chinese mainland? Please share your reasons” Through these two questions, we hope to contrast these two questions’ feedback with the previous two questions’ answers and explore whether their daily social activities would have an impact on their social and cultural identification with Hong Kong. And the following question is “What is your social identity to yourself?”. Through this question, we hope that can get direct and clear feedback on their real view of their identification.
The last two questions are the most crucial parts of the interviews. Through two questions, “Do you plan to attend university in the Chinese mainland or Hong Kong in the future?” and “Where do you plan to work and live in the future after completing your studies?”, we hope to collect their idea and plan of their future studying, working, and living place choosing. This research compares their choices with the above questions to investigate whether their cultural preference and social identification make a difference in their choice of future study and workplaces.
4.3. Research Ethics
Since the interviewees in the interview are all secondary school students, this research takes some special measures during the interview. Firstly, the researcher obtained the consent of the parents or guardians of these students before interviewing them. Secondly, as the interviewees are minors, the names of these students are anonymized in the report. At the same time, their other personal information, including family information and school information, is avoided in the report. Thirdly, the content of this interview involves the issue of geographical discrimination. Hence, the research adopts a relatively impartial approach in the question design and the process of the interview, hoping that the interviewees don’t t have the feeling of geographical discrimination as far as possible.
Against the data and interview information the research collected, the researcher invited the interviewees to read the letter of informed consent which indicates that the content of the interview is used in research or maybe shown in public paper carefully at first and then ask the interviewees whether they have understood the content of the letter of informed consent and whether they agree me to collect their data and interview information.
5. Findings and Discussion
Against the interview questions and the research objectives, this part presents the outcome collected from the interviews first, and then based on the outcome, this research summarizes some findings from the interview.
5.1. Result from the Interview
Q1: What are some of the areas and regions of entertainment and games that you like to follow and browse in your spare time?
Student A: I like to follow Chinese mainland as it is close to my life and behaviour, and Chinese mainland’s games and entertainment are much more interesting than Hong Kong.
Student B: I prefer the games and entertainment on Chinese mainland as they are more attractive and fun.
Student C: I always follow Chinese mainland’s entertainment and gaming, because there are many types that I can choose.
Student D: I prefer to browse Hong Kong’s information as I want to have some information that Chinese mainland does not have.
Q2: Which region do you prefer to make friends with?
Student A: I prefer to make friends with cross-border classmates because there will be no cultural and living barriers between us.
Student B: I prefer to make friends with Hong Kong locals as they can improve my spoken Cantonese and better understand the local culture of Hong Kong.
Student C: I prefer to make friends with Hong Kong classmates because they know a lot of different interesting things.
Student D: I prefer to make friends with cross-border students as we have a common cultural background.
Q3: Do you think there is a difference between the social culture of Hong Kong and that of Chinese mainland, and which social and cultural environment do you prefer, Hong Kong or Chinese mainland? Please share your reasons.
Student A: Yes. I think Chinese mainland’s culture is close to my life.
Student B: Yes. I prefer Hong Kong culture. In terms of education, Hong Kong’s education model is more relaxed and humane than that of Chinese mainland.
Student C: Yes. I like Chinese mainland culture and social environment because of the high living cost in Hong Kong.
Student D: Yes. I like Hong Kong’s cultural environment more than Chinese mainland. as Hong Kong is more international.
Q4: What is your social identity to yourself?
Student A: I am a Shenzhen citizen because I grew up in Shenzhen.
Student B: I agree with both Hong Kong and Chinese mainland social identities. There are no differences for me.
Student C: I think I am a Hong Konger because I was born in Hong Kong.
Student D: I suppose I am a Shenzhen citizen as my parents are all from Shenzhen and I also have lived in Shenzhen for a long time.
Q5: Do you plan to attend university in Chinese mainland or Hong Kong in the future?
Student A: Hong Kong, because I have been educated in Hong Kong, I am more suitable for the learning mode in Hong Kong.
Student B: I prefer to go to university in Hong Kong as graduating from a university in Hong Kong makes it easier to find a job locally.
Student C: Hong Kong, as locals go to local universities.
Student D: Chinese mainland, as I am more familiar with Chinese mainland culture.
Q6: Where do you plan to work and live in the future after completing your studies?
Student A: I plan to work in Hong Kong because I think there will be more opportunities for development in Hong Kong.
Student B: I hope to work in Hong Kong and live in Shenzhen. Because salaries in Hong Kong are generally higher than in Chinese mainland (most occupations), and prices in Chinese mainland are lower than in Hong Kong, I am more attracted to spending and there are many food options for me.
Student C: Hong Kong, as I prefer Hong Kong’s cultural environment.
Student D: Chinese mainland, as I choose to go to university on Chinese mainland, so I also hope to work and live on Chinese mainland.
5.2. Findings from the Interview
Through the answer to question 1, we can discover that most of them prefer to follow and browse entertainment information from Chinese mainland as it is more interesting than Hong Kong’s. Only student D has an interest in Hong Kong pop culture as he would like to know more new information that Chinese mainland does not have.
According to the feedback on question 2, half of them prefer to be friends with cross-border students as they have a common cultural custom and the rest of the two students would like to make friends with local Hong Kong classmates because they are willing to learn more about Hong Kong local culture and custom.
All interviewees agree that there is an existing cultural difference between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland. Same to question 2, against question 3, half of them suppose that they prefer Chinese mainland’s cultural environment, and the rest of the two interviewees liked Hong Kong’s cultural context. However, based on their answers to questions 2 and question 3, it seems that there is no obvious and direct correlation between their preferences for making friends at school in Hong Kong and their preferences for their cultural environment.
Through the answer to question 4, we can discover half of them agree with the Hong Kong Resident social identity and the rest of the two interviewees suppose that they are Shenzhen residents rather than Hong Kong residents as they claim that they were born and grew up in Shenzhen.
According to question 5, most of the interviewees prefer to attend university in Hong Kong as Hong Kong has better higher education resources and they also claim that they have been accustomed to Hong Kong’s educational model. Student D prefers to attend university on Chinese mainland as his family members are in Chinese mainland and he is more familiar with Chinese mainland culture.
Against question 6, as mentioned in question 5, while most of the interviewees choose to work in Hong Kong, student D still prefers to work in Chinese mainland, which is significantly related to his choice of university.
5.3. Discussion
Half of the students surveyed considered themselves to be Shenzheners rather than Hong Kongers, based on their families and the place where they grew up in Shenzhen. The remaining half of the students considered themselves to be Hong Kong people because they were born in Hong Kong. Here we found that those students who identified themselves as Shenzheners did so based on their parents’ daily influence on them, as they mentioned that their parents often referred to them as “we are Shenzheners”. In this way, their parents had in effect caused their children to gradually identify themselves as Shenzheners. The other two students who identified themselves as Hong Kong citizens were influenced by their place of birth. They believed that because they held a Hong Kong identity card, they had legal status in Hong Kong, and were, therefore, Hong Kong citizens rather than Shenzhen citizens (or Mainlanders) and that their parents had instilled this concept in them, and a certain extent their parents had played an important role in shaping their Hong Kong identity. To a certain extent, their parents also played an important role in forming their identity as Hong Kong people. Therefore, whether the students identified themselves as Shenzheners or Hong Kongers, their social identity was more or less influenced by their parents.
For these students, whether they identify as Hong Kong or not, Hong Kong is their first choice for university studies in the future, because they agree that Hong Kong’s higher education resources are complete and superior to Chinese mainland. From this result, objective factors (differences in higher education resources) seem to dominate. In fact, during the interview, the author found that their belief that Hong Kong’s educational resources are superior is not only caused by objective factors (Hong Kong’s own high-quality higher education resources and environment), but also their parents’ guidance, the publicity of their secondary schools, and the influence among their classmates all have an impact to a greater or lesser extent. For example, student C mentioned that his parents sometimes take him to visit some universities in Hong Kong or participate in some public lectures during the holidays, which may make student C more familiar with the universities in Hong Kong and may make student C more inclined to study in Hong Kong universities in the future. At the same time, the four interviewed students all said that their current secondary schools sometimes have billboards or posters to introduce the situation of various universities in Hong Kong, and sometimes invite some Hong Kong university teachers to give lectures at the school. These promotional activities of their school also encourage students to give preference to local universities in Hong Kong to some extent, which may lead to the bias and choice of the four students interviewed in this study to study in Hong Kong. Finally, all four students interviewed also said that when they discussed their future study options with their classmates, friends and teachers after class, they were more likely to discuss which local university in Hong Kong was better in which subject, and less about universities in other regions. It can be seen that the influence of parents, the guidance of the school, and the communication between peers seem to have a significant impact on the choice of cross-border students to pursue higher education in the future. However, the differences in the social identity of these interviewed students do not seem to have a significant impact on their future university choices.
In terms of their choice of future employment, they also shared the common understanding from their parents, teachers and classmates that Hong Kong is more suitable for future employment than Chinese mainland. In interviewing the students, the authors found that their parents had expressed encouragement and hope that they would stay in Hong Kong after completing their studies, suggesting that their preference to stay in Hong Kong for employment was partly related to the fact that their parents often mentioned this topic with them in their daily lives. In schools, the students interviewed also said that their teachers sometimes talked about employment in Hong Kong during or after class, which also encouraged them to pursue careers in Hong Kong. At the same time, their classmates will also share and discuss with each other about their future employment options in Hong Kong. From this, we can see that the influence of their parents, teachers and classmates on the cross-boundary students interviewed is likely to make them more aware of Hong Kong as their preferred place for career and development. However, the difference in their different social identities did not have a significant impact on this choice.
In conclusion, the differences in the social identity of the cross-border students do not directly affect their choice of university and employment in the future. The social environment around them has a relatively obvious impact on their choices: the daily speech and behaviour of their parents, the influence of their teachers and classmates, and some of the information sessions held by the school at the official level. The results show that the home and school environment of students has a positive impact on their future education and employment choices.
6. Policy Suggestions
Based on the interview findings and discussion, although the interviewed students have different viewpoints on their social identification (whether they suppose they are Hong Kongers), they prefer to choose Hong Kong as their university study and future work first choice. The reason why they have these preferences is that their parents, teachers, and schoolmates have frequently mentioned and discussed Hong Kong’s universities and Hong Kong’s job market in their daily lives and studies. Although all of them will choose to have university studies and work in Hong Kong, some of the interviewed students lack a sense of belonging to Hong Kong. This result may give policymakers new ideas or improvements about the cross-border students.
This interview’s findings show that half of the interviewed students indicate that they lack a sense of belonging to Hong Kong as they just spent their schooling time in Hong Kong every day while their all-daily social activities are in Shenzhen. Against this issue, it may reflect that these students’ secondary schools may ignore the problem that this group of cross-border students do not integrate well into the mainstream culture and social life in Hong Kong.
Hence, against this issue, this report suggests that the Hong Kong government can cooperate with secondary schools especially those that have a large proportion of cross-border students to organize some social activities, which can encourage these cross-border students to take part in Hong Kong’s local communities’ activities. This report hopes that through these community activities organized by the government, these cross-border students who travel to and from Hong Kong and Shenzhen can have a deeper experience and understanding of Hong Kong’s community and local culture, gradually build their sense of belonging to Hong Kong, and enable cross-border students to overcome Hong Kong’s social and cultural barriers and increase their recognition of Hong Kong’s social identity.
7. Limitation
The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of cross-boundary students’ social identities to their future university education and employment choices in Chinese mainland-Hong Kong. Four cross-boundary students studying in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong were invited to be interviewed for this study. Due to the small number of respondents selected, the results of this study may be biased from the whole cross-boundary student population, and therefore, it is necessary to further expand the number of respondents and select more cross-boundary students studying in other parts of Hong Kong in future studies.
8. Conclusion
As a special social group that exists in both Hong Kong and Chinese mainland, cross-border students have both the cultural influence of Hong Kong citizens and the cultural background of Chinese mainland. Based on interviews, this study collects and researches data on the future study and employment choices of cross-border students and their social identity, to further understand the problems of cross-border students. The results show that cross-border students’ daily cross-border study behaviour in Shenzhen and Hong Kong does not seem to have a significant impact on their social identity, nor does their social identity have a significant impact on their cultural preferences in Hong Kong and Chinese mainland. They are more inclined to stay in Hong Kong for further education and employment.
From the results of this study, as a special group of Hong Kong residents, although they have not lived in Hong Kong culture and society for a long time, most of them have been influenced by Hong Kong education and culture since primary school, and are no strangers to Hong Kong society and culture, and because their families are in Chinese mainland, they are also influenced by Chinese mainland culture, so Hong Kong and Shenzhen cross-border students have become a special group with special exhibitions and backgrounds in Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Because of lacking a sense of belonging to Hong Kong, some interviewed cross-border students do not accept that they are Hong Kongers. Against this issue, the Hong Kong government had better promote more social and community activities to let cross-border students integrate into the Hong Kong community.