Aberdeen, a recent movie written and directed by popular Hong Kong filmmaker Pang Ho-cheung, crashed in ticket sales recently in the mainland. This is mainly triggered by a boycott against Hong Kong actor Chapman To, who played a guest role in the movie.

Some mainland Internet users have recently called for a To boycott and asked him to stop making a living in the mainland due to his rude remarks. Another movie starring To, Let Go for Love, that hit theaters early May ended up with a box office of only 450,000 yuan ($72,138) on its premiere in the mainland.

Back to March, the well-known Hong Kong comedian voiced his endorsement for the Taiwanese students' protest against the Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Service. He posted numerous comments sympathizing with the students on his Facebook account and even called his Taiwan celebrity friends to ignore mainlanders because "they are barbarous." Though opposed by wrathful Internet users across the mainland, he still responded, "If you have the guts then stop me from coming to the mainland."

To's patronizing remarks toward mainlanders added to the already strained mainland-Hong Kong tensions, arousing hefty public attention as well as profound concerns.

While there is no denying that every word and deed of public figures, especially celebrities, can face rigorous and sometimes unfair social scrutiny, To's postings go to extremes to a certain degree. And his rabid and narrow-minded expressions have created a groundswell among a number of Hongkongers, further fueling the current contradictions between Hong Kong and the mainland.

The rift between To's irresponsible comments and mainlanders' boycott calls coincided with the demonstration by around 30 Hong Kong locals gathering at the Harbor City mall located in Tsim Sha Tsui. They squatted and pretended to defecate at the largest shopping mall of Hong Kong to mock the mainland toddler who urinated with a diaper underneath on a crowded sidewalk in the Mong Kok district in mid April. Back then, a scuffle broke out between the toddler's parents and two Hongkongers who photographed the scene, now seen as a defining incident in the strained relationship.

The absurd protest by the group of demonstrators is disappointing as it has gone beyond a kind of mere discrimination against mainland tourists to turn into humiliation against all mainlanders.

Some argue that To's remarks and the demonstration put on by the group of local Hongkongers are a manifestation of freedom in the Hong Kong society. Indeed, Hong Kong has long been famous for its freedom of expression and local people view such liberty as one of the most important pillars of the city's success today.

Not only Hongkongers but also mainlanders have been extraordinarily proud of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for its developed economy, democracy, advanced civilization, organized social order, and public courtesy. Nevertheless, the parochial mindset of the local minority is rusting this long-established pride.

Their abuse of freedom of speech has done nothing but to stoke up the mutual discontent and misunderstanding between mainlanders and Hongkongers.

Their words and deeds are slowly tarnishing Hong Kong's glorious image as well as tamping down public passion and support in the mainland for this international financial center.

The Internet users from the mainland who strongly protested against To are also overreacting.

They hold almost the same blinkered view as To and the local minority in Hong Kong, giving rise to the wrangles over different values and systems between the mainland and Hong Kong.

The online spat will only exacerbate the ongoing contradiction between Hong Kong and the mainland instead of addressing the real problem. This war of words risks politicizing the mainland-Hong Kong conflict and offers chances for some with ulterior motives to stir up troubles.

Both mainlanders and Hongkongers should refrain from irresponsible remarks and extreme behaviors. They should adopt an open and accommodating attitude toward each other, with the common aspiration of pushing forward the smooth development of Hong Kong-mainland ties.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. wangxiaonan@globaltimes.com.cn