HONG KONG, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cheng Kwan Chi, a Hong Kong student ready to pursue an art degree, produced a canvas painting during her summer vacation to support Hong Kong police and express her hope for harmony for the Oriental Pearl.
On Saturday, Cheng, along with her parents and younger brother, attended a event in the Ocean Park, which was organized by Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association to unite families in their calls for order and harmony.
The recent chaos in Hong Kong, in which radical protesters resorted to violence, have left families and friends divided, Cheng and her parents said.
"Some students are very active in the protests, but their parents do not agree, so they have had huge quarrels among the families," said Cheng, 18.
"I think those people are too hot-headed and they never really thought things through. I think one should never hurt their family just because of differences in political opinions," she said.
Cheng said now when she spends time with her friends, they don't discuss politics.
The recent social turmoil has roiled Hong Kong and disrupted people's lives. In the last two months, industries such as import and export, shipping, logistics, transportation, tourism, catering, and retail have seen sharp decline.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government revised downward the real economic growth forecast for 2019 as a whole to 0 to 1 percent, from an earlier estimate of 2 to 3 percent.
"In Hong Kong, we have a saying, if you stop working, you have nothing to eat. The violent protest has already hurt jobs. If they were to continue, families will suffer, and their lives will become even more hard," said Cheng's father Cheng Tung Kin, who works in logistics.
"Parents are the last line of defence for the children. I think every parent should teach their children to use reason and be objective when they think and judgement," said Cheng.
Over 800 people attended the ceremony in the Ocean Park. From Aug. 24 to Nov. 10, family events will be held each weekend at the park which will attract an estimated total of 85,000 people, said Gao Yingxin, chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association.
HKSAR government financial secretary Paul Chan also attended the event.
"The recent violent actions have not only affected people's lives and the economy, but also damaged the international image of Hong Kong, and challenged 'one country, two systems'," said Chan.
These actions violate the core values of Hong Kong which are peace, reason, openness, diversity and inclusiveness, Chan said.
Chan warned that Hong Kong's economy is in a dire situation. It is very likely to experience negative growth in the third quarter, he said.
The HKSAR government has rolled out a package of boosting measures with a total value of 19.1 billion HK dollars (about 2.4 billion U.S. dollars). Chan said he hoped the measures will help small and medium-sized businesses and the people tide over the difficulties.
Chan reiterated his opposition to violence. "Although we may have different views, people must never use violence to undermine peace, and express themselves in a reckless manner," he said.
"I hope that the public will join the government in opposing all acts of violence," he said.
"Hong Kong has come a long way from a small fishing village more than 100 years ago to an international financial, shipping and trade hub. It took generations of hard work. We are duty-bound to guard its peace and prosperity," he said.
