You might assume that China's extensive censorship, which blocks important and nuanced information, is to blame for the growing antipathy between Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese. Online comments from mainlanders I have read said protesters against the proposed extradition law, including the peaceful majority, were "selfish, unrealistic and spoiled" and "traitors."
But even those mainlanders with full knowledge of the protests, friends who have studied and worked abroad and who read international newspapers, oppose them.One told me: "China has given Hong Kong too much freedom, and it doesn't appreciate the tolerance China shows so far. No matter what, Hong Kong is a part of China and should respect China's rule." What helps to explain this, I would argue, is the increasing self-confidence of mainland Chinese who, more than 20 years after Hong Kong was returned to China, no longer feel like they stand in its shadow.
But even those mainlanders with full knowledge of the protests, friends who have studied and worked abroad and who read international newspapers, oppose them.One told me: "China has given Hong Kong too much freedom, and it doesn't appreciate the tolerance China shows so far. No matter what, Hong Kong is a part of China and should respect China's rule." What helps to explain this, I would argue, is the increasing self-confidence of mainland Chinese who, more than 20 years after Hong Kong was returned to China, no longer feel like they stand in its shadow.
