Opinion | A friendly reminder to Wang Guangya after criticism of milk powder policy

It's only fair to return the favour of friendly reminders that the director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Wang Guangya, purportedly gave to a group of Hong Kong political appointees.

Wang reportedly hinted at Beijing's displeasure over Hong Kong's handling of the baby formula issue, urging the delegation to improve their political sensitivity when it comes to policies that affect the mainland. At first glance, it seems a sensible - and friendly - reminder, since political sensitivity, communication and impact assessment are all part of the policymaking process.

But if we recall what Wang said two years ago - only one of a series of controversial statements he has made as head of the affairs office - we can't help but be stumped. In 2011, Wang provocatively chastised the Hong Kong civil service for knowing only how to "listen to the boss", with no mind of its own. Yet, two years later, Hong Kong officials apparently did not listen hard enough to "the boss".

Under "one country, two systems", the politics of who's the boss is complex, to say the least.

One might argue that the formula restrictions were imposed precisely because, under "one country, two systems", special administrative regions cannot "meddle" in the affairs of the mainland - a state of affairs Wang heartily approved of when he said in December 2010 that "Well water [Hong Kong] should not intrude into river water [mainland China]".

Wang's comment was targeted at the Hong Kong critics of the mainland's imprisonment of milk activist Zhao Lianhai. The scandal of China's melamine-laced milk was, of course, the real cause of formula restrictions around the world. It is mainland China's inadequate food safety policy that has caused the collapse in consumer confidence, forced people to seek food for their babies outside the mainland, made parallel trading lucrative, and allowed suppliers to take advantage of the shortages.