Educating Authoritarianism: The Legitimation of Authoritarian Rule in Hong Kong

With the introduction of the National Security Law, Hong Kong has been transformed into an increasingly illiberal authoritarian regime, creating a need to legitimize the new order. By analyzing the new Citizenship and Social Development curriculum, this chapter aims to reveal the main narratives used to establish legitimacy. First and foremost, it will be shown that the new subject seeks to promote a certain truth that students are expected to accept. The main ideological claim to legitimacy rests on the legality of China’s control, leveraging Hong Kong’s strong belief in the rule of law. The envisioned performance of the new, less contentious regime is supposed to engender support for the executive-dominant system. Finally, despite the growing illiberal nature of the regime, it still asserts elements of the liberal order, such as judicial independence and the claim of the existence of political freedoms.