A group of Hong Kong residents recently paid for an insulting newspaper advertisement which depicted mainlanders as locusts. Furthermore, some locals there have been spotted surrounding mainland tourists and taunting them with mocking rhymes.
These incidents run counter to the mainstream culture of Hong Kong and can hardly represent public opinion there.
Frictions have been unavoidably on the rise as the mainland and Hong Kong become increasingly engaged. The arrival of more mainlanders in Hong Kong for tourism, education, shopping and even to have babies has contributed to the local prosperity. These activities have also tested the capacities of Hong Kong's markets.
However, the online community seems to be keen on emphasizing the negative effects of this integration.
Regional discrimination is part of the Chinese culture. Stereotypes about people from other parts of the country are not new. Such region-bound mindsets, including the ongoing "locusts versus dogs" war of words, are laughable.
The quarrel, however, is annoying and could remind people of the old days before Hong Kong's return to the country in 1997.
Locusts and dogs were ugly words used by Western racists to insult and disgrace the Chinese people. Addressing fellow countrymen by these terms at a time when Hong Kong is gradually integrating into the mainland makes people look small. And a farce among a small number of people may become a major drama.
China faces no major national crisis at the moment. Since patriotic spirits aren't running high, this leaves room for such discriminatory sentiments to emerge and prevail.
The people who started this quarrel are not from the mainstream of either mainland or Hong Kong society. There will always be discordant factors. These won't stop the collective consciousness from safeguarding the bottom line for overall harmony.
Hong Kongers' sense of national identity, as well as mainlanders' recognition of Hong Kong as a part of the country, is strong enough to survive this blow.
Undeniably, both Hong Kong and the mainland have contributed to each other's development. To argue that one is taking the advantage of the other only displays a fit of pique. There is no climate for such small-mindedness.
Frictions will not hinder the gradual integration of Hong Kong and the mainland. Tensions could be high for a while, but the damage will fade. Regional discrimination and the consequential political sensitivity will not be permanent. Upping the ante on the verbal cross-fire is exaggerating the difficulties of integration between Hong Kong and the mainland.