What do Hong Kong people really think of China? Let’s imagine a time, perhaps not that far away, when mainland scientists claim to have created a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine. Beijing, in a show of goodwill, donates a shot for every resident. Local authorities are grateful, seeing a way to put the crisis behind them; they mandate that everyone has to be injected. This may be hypothetical, but the reality may not be far off . Russia already says it has developed a vaccine, although the claim has been questioned . At least a decade is usually necessary to produce a safe and effective drug, but the urgency to fend off the pandemic means that testing regimes are being dramatically shortened. At least six other teams around the world are known to be in the third and final stage of trials. The idea that China is in the forefront is not far-fetched given its list of impressive scientific and technological achievements and its involvement in the search. So, let’s assume the best-case scenario and the billions of necessary doses are produced in a matter of months and quickly shipped. If there is a choice of vaccines and Chinese leaders make a nationalist gesture, the Hong Kong government has only one way to turn. There is no better way of showing loyalty, trust and faith in Beijing while possibly banishing Covid-19 than implementing a compulsory immunisation scheme. But Hong Kong is famously a place that welcomes a free flow of goods. That has meant that we are used to being able to choose what we buy and the services we make use of; from experience, we know that in many fields, Chinese-made or produced is cheaper, but not necessarily of the best quality. The many product and health scandals on the mainland over the years mean some of us are bound to opt for foreign brands or the overseas-produced and grown. It is not a case of being anti-Chinese or racist; when we can afford it, we usually turn to what we perceive to be the best and safest. Beijing’s crackdowns to root out wrongdoing and efforts to raise standards have hardly changed local habits. Many mainlanders would appear to think similarly; our hospitals, public and private alike, have done a roaring trade in delivering babies and offering medical services. Scandals involving contaminated infant milk formula has meant it is at the top of Chinese visitors’ shopping lists. Hong Kong’s regulations and standards and enforcement mechanisms give confidence that what is bought is genuine. Branding is a big factor in decision-making. I know I am not alone; let me choose between a Chinese or Japanese-branded washing machine, and I will always opt for the latter. But a vaccine is not a washing machine; if the drug is not sterile, has not been properly tested or is not as effective as it is claimed to be, it could put us at risk, maim or even cause death. There have been many scandals involving mainland firms producing ineffective drugs, vaccines among them, and passing them off as meeting standards. The latest was just two years ago, when two firms were found to have produced a range of fake or substandard drugs , vaccines for rabies, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus among them, that were subsequently given to thousands of people. The investigation, arrests and fines have not, to my mind, restored confidence. It is why the sudden appearance in Hong Kong of 60 mainland experts to test for Covid-19 is causing such a fuss , and talk of nurses and even doctors coming here to help out is raising hackles. Hongkongers have always taken pride in their health system and consider it superior to that on the mainland, where accounts abound of money being the only way to get good treatment. So, the important question – which also happens to be a test of faith and loyalty towards Beijing – is: If you are told you are legally bound to have a mainland-produced Covid-19 vaccine, will you willingly offer your arm or demand that you have the right to choose? Peter Kammerer is a senior writer at the Post