In recent weeks, some Hong Kong people's complaints about mainland property buyers, mainland mothers and mainland tourists on the MTR have become unpleasant, even vicious.
It is understandable that some people are bitter about unaffordable home prices in Hong Kong as mainland investors buy flats here and leave them empty. The same goes for resentment at pregnant mainlanders putting our hospitals under strain. Perhaps a few mainland visitors do break some local rules, and it is easy to see why Dolce & Gabbana made people angry a few weeks ago.
But how did it get to the stage where we have hate-filled language about 'locusts'? We can only hope for the sake of Hong Kong's reputation that this outbreak of insults and hostility will soon pass. Even so, the potential for future friction clearly exists.
It seems to me that this is a clash on several levels. On the surface, it is about resources, and our leaders need to take this seriously. There are genuine problems, and mainlanders are unfairly and damagingly being used as scapegoats as a result.
Policymakers miscalculated the effect of large-scale tourism from the mainland. The boost to our retail sector has been immense, but the government failed to anticipate how the extra visitors would increase demand for various resources. Ideally, officials should find ways to reduce competition from mainlanders for space and services. If necessary, they should pledge to provide whatever land, funds and manpower are needed to restore home affordability and maternity service capacity to what they would be without the 'mainlander effect'.
But why have some Hong Kong people found it so easy to take out their frustration on mainlanders? Mainlanders mean us no harm. They buy milk powder here because they are afraid that the product back home is tainted and will harm their children. Some want to give birth here to help give their children an advantage in life. They buy luxury goods here because of the dependability and cheaper price. Wouldn't any of us do these things in their position?