Soon after arriving here as the new director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, Luo Huining mentioned more than once in his speech at the annual Spring Festival reception hosted by the Liaison Office that everybody should love Hong Kong because it is our hometown. The point has been interpreted by some as a shift of priority by the central government in Hong Kong affairs, from ending violence and riots to advocating social harmony. I believe that is a misunderstanding. Beijing always expects Hong Kong society to cherish the city’s hard-earned stability and prosperity and build a harmonious community for all in accordance with the “one country, two systems” principle and the Basic Law. To maintain stability and prosperity, Hong Kong must end violence and riots. Luo’s heartwarming appeal does not suggest that the SAR government should stop taking tough measures aimed at stopping violence.

The arrival of the novel coronavirus epidemic has distracted the press from discussions over social harmony, and Hong Kong society is now preoccupied with getting the viral pneumonia under control. All of a sudden, some people seem to believe the mission of quelling unrest is automatically accomplished, but that is just wishful thinking.

On one hand, the anti-China and anti-communist political forces in Hong Kong are only suspending their protests for a month in view of the spreading epidemic. On the other hand, when the government announced on Jan 25 that it might use the unfurnished Fai Ming Estate in Fanling as a quarantine center for patients’ close contacts or as temporary housing for medical staff, not only was it met with immediate opposition from several Northern District councilors but was also greeted with violence by rioters in black, who blocked roads and hurled gasoline bombs at two buildings of the housing estate the following night.

The anti-China and anti-communist political groups demanded the SAR government seal off all entry points between Hong Kong and the mainland. Such a draconian measure, deemed unnecessary by public health experts, is obviously motivated by the evil desire to poison the bond between Hong Kong and the mainland as well as between the SAR and central authorities

What the vandals did at Fai Ming Estate is proof that they will not give up violence voluntarily. The opposition from a number of Northern District councilors and residents of Fai Ming Estate tells us the “not in my backyard” mentality is very much alive among many Hong Kong residents and constitutes a formidable obstacle to efforts to build Hong Kong into a happy home for all 7.5 million of us.

Building a shared home requires a certain degree of selflessness from every individual. If everyone puts themselves and their family ahead of all others, it will be difficult to achieve this goal. In order to control the epidemic, the SAR government has issued a temporary ban on arrivals from Hubei province or anyone who had been to Hubei in the past 14 days, except returning Hong Kong residents, from Jan 27 until further notice. The decision is understandable. However, the anti-China and anti-communist political groups demanded the SAR government seal off all entry points between Hong Kong and the mainland. Such a draconian measure, deemed unnecessary by public health experts, is obviously motivated by the evil desire to poison the bond between Hong Kong and the mainland as well as between the SAR and central authorities.

The “black revolution” has been ravaging Hong Kong for more than seven months and turned localism into secessionism, which was already rampant before the novel coronavirus pneumonia struck the city. Secessionism manifested mainly in three aspects: the opposition camp’s securing enough votes to win most of the seats in the sixth-term District Council elections in November; the inability to change public opinion regarding the opposition camp’s “five demands, not one less”; and the open request from some members of the pro-establishment camp to continue the implementation of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong after the SAR turns 50 on July 1, 2047.

The fact that so many voters supported opposition candidates in the 2019 District Council elections does not necessarily mean that they all oppose the central government, but it at least reflects a sense of detachment from the main body of the Chinese nation. That sentiment could be fed by localism. However, the difference between localism and separatism is paper-thin.

In dealing with “five demands, not one less”, the SAR government has adopted an “incremental approach” instead of a decisive flush because to a certain extent it cannot distinguish between local sentiment, localism and separatism.

Regarding the implementation of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong beyond June 30, 2047, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor got straight to the point and asserted that it would depend on whether the Hong Kong SAR can ensure the successful implementation of the framework in the long run. The pro-establishment dignitaries who made the above-mentioned request should have no problem understanding this simple precondition. The fact that they demanded the central government’s promise — knowing the “black revolution” has crossed the bottom line of sovereignty, national security and development interest by undermining “one country, two systems” — reveals their reluctance to categorically reject secessionism even though they don’t agree with it.

The novel coronavirus outbreak started in and spread from Wuhan. It is rather unfortunate that some Hong Kong residents thus found an excuse to blame and even detest mainland compatriots. As such, the SAR government must debunk rumors and groundless accusations pertaining to the epidemic while doing its best to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in Hong Kong.

The author is a senior research fellow of Hong Kong-based China Everbright Holdings. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.