County cousin

Thirty year ago, Hongkongers call mainlanders "achan," country bumpkins. Now they see these "bumpkins" flooding into the luxury shops. They are so adored by these Western luxury brands that one Dolce & Gabbana store even told Hongkongers that only mainland buyers were allowed to take photos in 2012. The result, of course, was another protest.

Zhu Shihai, a professor at the Central Institute of Socialism, told the Global Times that "The reason behind Hong Kong-mainland conflicts is the economic gap."

"The public opinion sphere is weird. It seems whoever opposes the SAR and the central governments is seen positively," said an office worker surnamed Wang, as he sipped coffee near the Bank of China building. Take newspapers, where he said the pro-government Wen Wei Po was much less influential than Apple Daily, which constantly ridicules the Chief Executive.

The political group People Power proposed last month that the SAR government should introduce an arrival tax of HK$100 on mainland tourists. But some experts warned that the central government might impose a similar tax on Hongkongers who travel to the mainland as well.

To promote discussion of early introduction of universal suffrage, Tai Yiu-ting, associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, initiated the Occupy Central campaign in 2013. Many Hongkongers told the Global Times that they worry the campaign might destabilize Hong Kong.

Philip Chan Yan-Kin, a Hong Kong actor and film director who is against the movement, told the Global Times that he understands many young people's sentiments because they have never been through any turmoil.

"That's why I feel the need to stand out and let these young people know that Hong Kong has to stay stable," he said.

To better regulate mainland visitors, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told reporters that the government would build more infrastructure to manage the influx.

"We will increase the supply or availability of tourist-related facilities in Hong Kong such as large shopping facilities on the man-made island to manage demand and increase supply at the same time," he said.