The South China Morning Post reported (May 15) that a question set by the Diploma of Secondary Examination world history subject committee in Hongkong's University Entrance Examinations sparked furious controversy on May 14-15, 2020. The controversial history exam question asked whether Japan “did better than harm to China between 1900 and 1945”. Reacting to China's objection, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau took (May 15) the unprecedented step of asking the local examination authority to remove the controversial history exam question. Barely hours later, a strongly worded Xinhua commentary called the question “poisonous” and warned that if it were not removed from the exam, the “rage of all Chinese sons and daughters would not be able to be settled”. Xinhua said that nearly 23 years after the handover, Hong Kong had yet to establish a new education system that was in line with “one country, two systems” and that “Hong Kong’s education system is a place where the worst elements of society are assembled, and students are being poisoned.” The Xinhua commentary criticised education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen for defending those involved in setting the question. Some teachers and students criticised removal of the question and asked: “History is meant to encourage free thinking. If you have to censor thought and cancel the question, why don’t you just eliminate the entire subject?”; “Besides the two materials provided in the paper, we have learnt a lot on both sides of the [argument] during that historical period. For instance, both Japanese invasion of China, as well as the late Qing reform during the early 20th century, were being taught in class,”; and one post, written in Chinese, read: “If there were no Japanese occupation, would there be a new China? Have you forgotten your origin?”

(Comment: The Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams began in 2012, replacing the previous HKCEE and A-levels exams, and more than 5,200 candidates appear for the exams.)