Mainlanders Not Sympathetic With the Hong Kong Protests: NPR

Posted by on Oct 7, 2014 in Blog | 0 comments

This report by US’s National Public Radio generally hits the mark but it is wrong that mainland Chinese don’t know much about the Hong Kong protests.  It’s been headline news on all channels, central and regional, for many days (although it wasn’t reported right from the get-go).

This author visited Hong Kong just as Occupy Central tried to storm government offices two weeks ago.  Hong Kong’s standard of living is the envy of many on the mainland.  While their apartments and condos may be tiny (and in some cases shabby) by mainland standards (due to Hong Kong’s outrageously expensive real estate market), its markets and stores are stocked with the best meats, produce, fruits, and internationally made products.  Its public transit system is very efficient and relatively inexpensive given Hong Kong’s cost of living, and its hospitals, schools, and public services are also top rate.

Mainlanders often think Hong Kongers take their standard of living for granted and demand too much from both the central and SAR authorities.  Hong Kongers, on the other hand, hold their mainland cousins in contempt, seeing them as uncouth country bumpkins who lack morals and are fixated with shopping.  Yet, Hong Kongers needn’t be reminded that many of them hailed from the mainland and not so long ago, they were also unsophisticated ‘locals’ who couldn’t speak a word in Mandarin, let alone English.

So, Hong Kongers, cherish what you have and seek political reform incrementally, is the message from mainlanders.

This story can be heard at:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/10/06/354088313/on-chinas-mainland-a-less-charitable-take-on-hong-kongs-protests?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=world