Internships Not Politically Oriented, Says Govt

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said on Friday that a government pilot scheme that will send dozens of university students to work as interns on the mainland is not a politically oriented project, but one that is aimed at broadening their horizons.

He said among other things, the project is to equip young people with a sense of national identity, international exposure and a love for Hong Kong.

About 250 university students will be chosen by 16 leading corporates to work as interns for the government initiated programme, but only around 30 of them will be able to head overseas to places like Southeast Asia, Australia and the UK.

Applications for the internship scheme in companies including Bank of China, AIA, Swire and the MTR Corporation, will be received from Friday. Students studying in year two and above are eligible to apply.

Cheung said although only 30 interns will work overseas, it doesn’t mean the scheme is not meaningful. He said those working on the mainland will also broaden their vision and develop independence of mind.

He also pointed out that most of the companies in the scheme are Hong Kong-based and have extensive operations on the mainland.