"If you cannot speak blanket, you cannot have it", "Carpet is on the floor"……
Three Cathay Pacific flight attendants made fun of a mainland passenger’s English ability on a flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong, and then the scandal went viral on the Internet.
The scandal reveals tensions between Hong Kongers and mainland visitors. To harness the strength of the "one country, two system" policy and create prosperity in the Greater Bay Area and China, it seems to me that adjustments are needed on both sides.
On one hand, Hong Kongers need to be more welcoming of people from the Mainland and accept Hong Kong's place in China. Given Hong Kong’s history and its consequent orientation towards the English-speaking world, the esteem in the English language of Hong Kongers is understandable. However, with the increase in tourists from Mainland, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong must put aside their colonial arrogance to adapt to this change. They need to re-acquaint themselves with their real roots in Cantonese, and not being troubled by the non-stop demonization of China by the West.
However, the Mainland also needs to accept Hong Kong's unique characteristics. Obviously, Hong Kong has a quite different history from the rest of China. Attempts to whitewash that history in a bid to recast the city into an image of the Mainland will only cause more resentment.
Nevertheless, the development of the Greater Bay Area is an unstoppable trend, and efforts should be made to achieve respect and acceptance of each other. Thank you!