Languages of Hong Kong - Government Language Policy

Government Language Policy

After the handover, the government of Hong Kong adopted the "biliterate and trilingual" (兩文三語) policy. Under this policy, Chinese and English must both be acknowledged as official languages, with Cantonese being acknowledged as the de facto official spoken variety of Chinese in Hong Kong, while also accepting the use of Mandarin.

The Civil Service Bureau monitors the implementation of the government's language policy at the civil level, the Department of Justice governs the legal aspect and the Education and Manpower Bureau monitors the educational aspect.

Read more about this topic:  Languages Of Hong Kong

Famous quotes containing the words government, language and/or policy:

    What is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?
    James Madison (1751–1836)

    Language makes it possible for a child to incorporate his parents’ verbal prohibitions, to make them part of himself....We don’t speak of a conscience yet in the child who is just acquiring language, but we can see very clearly how language plays an indispensable role in the formation of conscience. In fact, the moral achievement of man, the whole complex of factors that go into the organization of conscience is very largely based upon language.
    Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)

    Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing culture in our land.
    Mao Zedong (1893–1976)