National education in Hong Kong has long been under debate. At an early stage, some opponents questioned national education by launching hunger strikes under the banner of "anti-brainwashing."

It is understandable that some Hong Kong parents, who are unaware of the truth, worry about national education. The Hong Kong government said repeatedly that it will not force schools to use a specific textbook. Leung Chun-ying, chief executive of Hong Kong, also said that national education was open for negotiation.

There's no need to intensify the dispute. However, opponents were apparently unaffected by government's statement. They stuck to an "anti-brainwashing" stance and demanded that national education be canceled, leaving no room for discussion.

Many of the hunger strikers are political opponents of the government. They made national education an easy target to increase their political influence. The Hong Kong government and principle of "one country, two systems" are their real targets.

However, it is inappropriate to use children's education and Hong Kong culture as shields. A hunger strike is an extreme measure. Hong Kong is proud of its democratic society. People should present the facts and reason things out instead of making things sound reasonable. An important part of democracy is discussing problems and avoiding extremes.

Of course, in a democratic society, the government always has to face some extravagant demands and deal with some unreasonable people. However, as long as rationality is the mainstream of the society, solutions to these problems could be found.

Hong Kong is in a period of transformation both politically and economically. Hong Kong people, from top to bottom, want to change the old model of elite governance. The voices calling for real administration of Hong Kong are growing increasingly loud. However, how should that goal be achieved? It seems that Hong Kong is still groping its way in disputes.

It needs a long time to carry the principle of "one country, two systems" out. With the changing environment, disputes over details of this principle are not unexpected. However, the 15 years since Hong Kong's return have demonstrated that most of the worries are unnecessary. There are many reasons to remain optimistic about the future of Hong Kong.

The author is a senior news commentator based in Hong Kong. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn