A hundred young Chinese leaders are gathering in Hong Kong for The Dragon Foundation's annual Dragon 100 Forum from 21-29 August. They are coming from the United States and Canada, from Australia and New Zealand, Mainland China, Europe and Southeast Asia.

These young people have already made outstanding contributions in their own communities and have been chosen carefully from among many highly recommended nominees at academic institutions and business corporations both overseas and in Hong Kong. All of them come from ethnic Chinese backgrounds and have demonstrated a commitment towards building a better world.

The delegates will join the Dragon 100 Young Chinese Leaders Forum in Hong Kong and Shanghai and discuss topical issues around the theme, Opportunities in China: a vision for a shared future. Eminent figures from the business world who will speak at event include Dr. Eden Woon, JP, Mr. Joseph Yam, GBS JP, Dr. K.S. Lo, GBS, JP, Mr. Alex Arena and Mr. Wang Sing. The Hon. Mr. Justice Geoffrey Ma will also address the delegates. The Shanghai Youth Federation is collaborating with the Dragon Foundation for the section of the forum in Shanghai and they are arranging a meeting with the city's Deputy Mayor.

A major function of the event is to generate synergy among participants. This synergy allows innovation to flourish and fosters the growth of a network of contacts that will continue to thrive in the future. This network can provide motivation and mutual support to meet the challenge of working for the good of their respective communities with dedication and passion when they return home.

The Dragon Foundation was set up in 2000 by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and is now under Federation management.

Special young people
The Dragon 100 are gathering in Hong Kong this week from North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific area to take part in the annual forum in Hong Kong and Shanghai. They already have outstanding achievements and clear leadership potential. The other essential qualification they share is their Chinese ethnic origin.

We talked to a few of them and asked about their expectations.

Hong Kong born Betsey, doing an M.Phil in molecular biotechnology at Chinese U said:

"…there are some sad misconceptions about China and Dragon 100 allows one to get first-hand information."

Tonni an applied biology PhD. student born in Indonesia did his first degree in Bogor, central Java and now has a Hong Kong government scholarship. He also wants to see for himself:

"...the visible evidence of the growth in China that we hear so much about."

Sunny, doing a double first degree in computer engineering and business management at HKUST also wants to see how far China has come along the road to global integration and has high expectations of the visits planned in Shanghai. He has met many students from the Mainland in Hong Kong and found them progressive, clever and very sociable.

"Hong Kong people have tended to reject the Mainland in the past. I want to see the similarities rather than the differences. I believe there are ways in which we may be able to help, if only indirectly, to reduce the gulf and improve mutual understanding."

Betsey, who has done volunteer work in China and is going on to study at Oxford this autumn, is keen to take part in the panel discussions:

"I know nothing about economics but want to hear about the situation in various sectors of China's economy, to learn from eminent speakers about the intricacies that underlie the opportunities that now exist."

And what are they most looking forward to? The primary answer was unanimous:
"Meeting people" said Sunny.
"Networking" said Betsey.
"Meeting new people and hopefully making friends" said Jolene.
"Exchanging ideas and viewpoints" said both Tonni and Stephanie.
Naturally they want to meet others like themselves: bright, committed, ambitious and Chinese, all sharing a common vision of the future. Mika, a delegate at the inaugural Dragon 100 forum in 2002, told us:

"…the informal contact made the greatest impact. There were some very intense moments. One young delegate from the Trinidad and Tobago comes to mind in particular for her emotional outpourings about feeling Chinese."

Tonni, when asked about his sense of identity said that first of all:

"I am Chinese. I have been able to use my academic achievements to escape from the prejudice I found at home. I really relish the prospect of mingling with many others of equivalent backgrounds or similar aspirations at this meeting."

Both Australian born Jolene, an accountancy undergraduate at Melbourne, and Stephanie who was born and brought up in Canada and is studying at the University of British Columbia, feel differently:

"I see myself as having the best of both worlds and feel that my Chinese ethnic origins are inseparable from my Australian nationality and upbringing," said Jolene.

Although born in Hong Kong, Mika has spent much of his life in the UK. He is very aware of the dangers of stereotyping and agrees with Betsey that he has more in common with students from the mainland than he would have expected just a few years ago.

Mika has been active in trying to build and maintain the Dragon 100 network since 2002. It already had web parallels on yahoo! ahead of the 2005 meeting according to Betsey and Tonni. The networking function of the meeting lies at the core of its future relevance to participants. It can perpetuate contact between those of like mindset. Delegates past, present and future can share their current perspectives and continue to work together through the Dragon 100 network in future. Such synergy can bring extraordinary results.

Facts & Figures

HKFYG 100-hour HKCEE web counselling statistics rise

The number of people using the special 100-hours non-stop counselling service during last week's release of HKCEE results rose significantly this year. The Federation's F.5 Broadband 2777 1112 programme handled a total of 8,142 cases between 10a.m. on 9 August and 2p.m. on 13 August. The number of calls to the hotline was 4368 - similar to last year -

but there was a significant increase in requests for help via the Internet, on icq, email and chatrooms. Most students asked about available 6th Form places and nearly a thousand wanted information about IVE & VTC study programmes. This interest in the alternatives to mainstream study is encouraging now that there are so many opportunities available with virtually unlimited places. There was also a 10% increase in the number of parents who called the hotline for advice on their children's studies or employment prospects. Many voiced disappointment over results or worries about their children's negative reactions.

The increase in Internet counselling reflects the growing popularity of this medium as a means of communication among young people. The number of visitor sessions on the Federation's u21 website Form 5 Broadband page was up by140% from 31,689 in 2004 to 76,097 in 2005. During the 100 Hours, we handled 2,527 cases through online chatrooms, 1,055 cases through icq counselling services and 192 cases via email. Although the continuous service is now over, we still provide counselling through Youthline 2777 8899 from Monday to Saturday 2p.m. to 2a.m. and the Federation urges students and parents who need help to get in touch, especially in the light of the queries over mistakes in results. Alternatively, click on the Federation's u21 website: www.u21.org.hk for the latest information on further studies or youth employment.

Hong Kong Chinese people: how do they feel?

According to a recent civic education survey* in Hong Kong, 73% of the people here are proud of being Chinese and 52% felt that their Chinese ethnicity was important to them. The survey, which is conducted biennially, involved face-to-face interviews with 1,054 individuals aged 15-69.

It found that the number of people who feel very concerned about Hong Kong has risen since the first survey was done in 1998, and among the 15-24 year olds, the number who feel confident about the political future of the territory has also risen. This optimism was not matched among 25-49 year olds.

Where attitudes to the Mainland are concerned, 38% thought the national flag should be raised daily at government schools. This would support the government's drive to promote national education in schools which featured the introduction of a new module on National Identity and Chinese Culture in primary schools in 2002. Last month, up to 100 boys from Forms 3 and 4 underwent military training conducted in Hong Kong by the PLA during a summer camp in Fanling. Another new initiative beginning this year is to send Form 6 and post-secondary students to Beijing for a 10-day course in national education.

* Survey conducted by Policy 21 and the University of HK's Centre for Civil Society Governance. Executive summary at www.cpce.gov.hk/common/doc/ceos_summary.pdf