The epidemic in the mainland rebounded in the middle of the month, with an average of more than 1,000 confirmed cases in the seven days.
When large and small cities including Shenzhen took emergency measures such as closing the city, many complaints about the epidemic in Hong Kong emerged in the mainland's public opinion field.
Some people believe that the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong is to be blamed for the “inversion of the mainland”, and blame the Hong Kong government for its failure to fight the epidemic and “can’t help but not control it”, which has dragged down the mainland. .
As early as the beginning of the current outbreak in Hong Kong, there have been reports that many people smuggled back to the mainland from Hong Kong, and are likely to bring the virus back; source tracing in the mainland has found that many cases originated from Hong Kong, which supports this round of the epidemic in the mainland. have close ties with Hong Kong.
The anti-epidemic war presided over by the Hong Kong government is unsatisfactory.
No matter how the Hong Kong government says it has done its best, but the so-called "no comparison, no harm", Shenzhen's response to the epidemic is resolute, and mainlanders will naturally be dissatisfied with Hong Kong.
Therefore, it is no wonder that mainland public opinion is scrambling to ridicule and criticize Hong Kong.
There have been a lot of complaints about the Hong Kong epidemic in the mainland media recently. They believe that the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong is "inverting the mainland", blaming the Hong Kong government for its failure to fight the epidemic, and some radicals even demand that the central government recall the mainland medical staff who have gone to Hong Kong to support.
(Associated Press)
Misreading one country, two systems and not understanding each other is not a cold day
On the other hand, the arrival of medical and nursing staff from the Mainland to Hong Kong has also caused a small disturbance.
A Hong Kong reporter asked officials how citizens should complain if mainland medical staff committed medical errors.
Regardless of whether reporters should ask such preconceived questions, the prejudice of some Hong Kongers must be reflected behind the questioning.
They are very resistant to medical care from the mainland coming to Hong Kong.
This mentality largely stems from a long-term lack of identification with the mainland.
It is estimated that the most unacceptable thing for them is that Hong Kong has handled it worse than the mainland, and the mainland needs to help.
In their hearts, the medical level of the mainland is far behind that of Hong Kong, so they will not be happy because of the mainland's assistance, but feel that their sense of superiority is damaged.
Even if they cannot change the reality in the end, they still question the medical care in the mainland by how to complain and their English proficiency.
"Frozen three feet is not a day's cold." Some people in the mainland and Hong Kong do not agree with each other, and even hate each other not overnight.
In the early years of the handover, social problems were not yet so acute. Hong Kong people and the mainland used to be of one mind. For example, in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Hong Kong people felt the same way, and donated as much as 22 billion yuan; in the Beijing Olympics in the same year, many Hong Kong people were even more proud of being Chinese. .
As Hong Kong's governance issues gradually emerged, some people began to look for scapegoats and pointed the finger at the mainlanders.
In the early 2010s, an anti-parallel trade movement and discriminatory rhetoric calling mainlanders "locusts" began to emerge.
Since the social unrest in 2019, we have even seen some Hong Kong people's hatred of the mainland spiral out of control under the propaganda of populist politicians.
Land ports have common interests and positions, but they achieve their goals through different systems. The two must reach the same goal in different ways, both for the purpose of bringing a better life to the people.
(Associated Press)
In this wave of epidemics, the accusations between the two places are even more irrational.
In a joke on the mainland, the epidemic has surprised both sides at each other's speed.
On the one hand, the rapid delivery of makeshift hospitals and isolation facilities built with the aid of the mainland in Hong Kong, as well as the rapid actions taken by the mainland in the face of the epidemic, have surprised Hong Kong people.
On the other hand, the slow application of these facilities by the Hong Kong government and the hesitation in making anti-epidemic decisions after receiving these facilities also shocked many mainlanders.
After the shock, there is more incomprehension and disapproval.
However, the backwardness of public opinion is only an appearance, and the root cause is the failure of communication and the deepening of prejudice.
If you think about it carefully, the reason behind how the public opinion of the two places has fallen so far today is the deviation of the government and officials in showing the people the actual operation of "one country, two systems".
The 2019 turmoil in Hong Kong is the result of deep-seated social contradictions.
In the past years, various social forces, including the central government, have emphasized the danger of deep-seated conflicts, but Hong Kong officials still do not know why.
Hong Kong citizens have nowhere to vent their grievances, and being misled by wrong populist politics, they even blame the mainlanders and the central government.
In the past, the central government probably did not want to be considered to have undermined the "two systems", and was quite "generous" towards the Hong Kong government and officials, which contributed to the misunderstanding between the people of the two places.
For a long time since the handover, the central government has not interfered too much in Hong Kong affairs.
Recently, a statement from former Premier Zhu Rongji has been circulated on the mainland Internet, saying that "if Hong Kong fails to do well, not only you (Hong Kong government officials), but also we (Beijing central government) are responsible." But at the same time, the central government also believes that Hong Kong has perfect system, emphasizing that "Hong Kong's affairs can be resolved by Hong Kong itself."
However, it may be due to excessive trust in Hong Kong officials, which has led to the lack of communication between the central government and Hong Kong officials at the governance level. Even if Hong Kong's governance has planted a time bomb, the central government is always limited to taking the initiative to hold the Hong Kong government and officials accountable. It is no wonder that Hong Kong officials and citizens gradually think that "one country, two systems" means "the water of the river does not violate the water of the well", thus creating a gap between each other.
Moreover, the central government has always repeatedly expressed its support for the Hong Kong government's "governance according to the law". This disguised form also makes Hong Kong officials mistakenly believe that as long as they "do things according to the book", they can do business. They lose their imagination of reform and develop a lack of national sentiment and understanding among Hong Kong officials. The overall pattern, becoming a narrow technocrat, can be said to be "a loving mother and many defeated children."
Hong Kong officials must understand that they are not "uncontrolled by a king," and "one country, two systems" is not a shield for dereliction of duty. They must do a good job of "one country, two systems" so that Hong Kong can get rid of the predicament and lead the land-Hong Kong relationship to the right path.
(Associated Press)
Officials of the two places sharing weal and woe should take responsibility
The failure of governance in the past has given rise to two extreme remarks, one is the fantasy of "Hong Kong independence" demanding separation from the mainland, and the other is the call for "one country, one system" for the mainland to fully take over Hong Kong.
Obviously, none of them are in line with the original intention of the historic system of "one country, two systems" when it was founded.
Under the active "One Country, Two Systems", although Hong Kong and the Mainland are two systems, they are closely related to each other. Even "lips and teeth are interdependent" is not enough to describe, but a relationship of "if the skin does not exist, the hair will adhere to it".
Tung Chee-hwa, the first chief executive, used a phrase that everyone is familiar with to explain, "Hong Kong is good, China is good; China is good, Hong Kong is better."
"Two systems" refers not to two unrelated individuals, but to two lifestyles living under the same roof.
Land ports have common interests and positions, but they achieve their goals through different systems. The two must reach the same goal in different ways, both for the purpose of bringing a better life to the people.
As far as the epidemic is concerned, the mainland and Hong Kong will not be immune to the outbreak of the epidemic on one side.
Even with the quarantine checkpoint, Hong Kong's fifth wave of the epidemic still spread back to the mainland.
The central government is even more anxious about the Hong Kong epidemic than the Hong Kong government. In addition to caring about the safety of Hong Kong citizens, it is also because the two places cannot cut ties. To control the national epidemic, Hong Kong must not become a loophole.
Another example is the recent volatility in the Hong Kong stock market.
Since the beginning of this year, the stocks of Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies have been under pressure for a variety of reasons. Last week, the Hang Seng Index once plunged below 19,000 points, which was even worse than when the epidemic broke out. The miracle of a 3,000-point rally.
The reason behind this is that we should all be clear in recent years. Hong Kong and the mainland economy are inseparable. Especially in terms of the economic size of the mainland, its impact on Hong Kong is even more one-way.
To bring "one country, two systems" back on track, as Zhu Rongji said, both the central government and Hong Kong officials have the responsibility.
Many officials in Hong Kong lacked a correct understanding of the positive "one country, two systems" national sentiment and cognitive structure, but their governance failed under the principle of a high degree of autonomy. The central government's euphemistic reprimand failed to awaken them to their roles and responsibilities.
Then the central government should make good use of the powers conferred by the Constitution and the Basic Law to deal with the situation.
And Hong Kong officials should also understand that they are not "without a king" and have no responsibility, and "one country, two systems" is not a shield for dereliction of duty.
The chief executive and key officials must understand that they must do everything in their power to make "one country, two systems" a success. Only in this way can Hong Kong get out of the predicament and lead the land-Hong Kong relationship on the right track.
Many officials in Hong Kong lacked a correct understanding of the national sentiment and cognitive pattern of the positive "one country, two systems" principle, and their governance failed under the principle of a high degree of autonomy. They should wake up to their roles and responsibilities as soon as possible.
(Associated Press)
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