After a three-year hiatus caused by the 2019 political turbulence and the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong has finally stood up again to regain its reputation as a global financial, aviation, trading and cultural center as well as the gateway between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world.

The reopening of borders for quarantine-free travel, a high-level business delegation to the Middle East to enhance overseas business collaboration, the launching of the HK$2 billion ($255 million) Hello Hong Kong promotional campaign to revitalize tourism, and much more are on the way to show the world that we are back to business in full gear.

However, as the old Chinese saying goes, “Even when the tree desires to stand still, the wind does not stop.” This is exactly the situation Hong Kong is facing, no matter how hard it has been trying to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. The anti-China forces might believe that undermining Hong Kong is an effective way to hinder China’s rise.

This is something we have to be on alert for while proceeding to rebuild Hong Kong’s vibrancy. The entire city, from the government down to the public, needs courage, perseverance, and, most importantly, solidarity to effectively counterattack the anti-China forces’ political machinations.

For historical reasons, Hong Kong residents are more familiar with Western-style democracy; and some of them often show a special preference for some charismatic Western politicians who are good at personal image-building for popularity.

However, a Confucian doctrine teaches to judge people by their deeds, not just by their words. In the internet era, getting “likes” on social media is another personal image-building gesture that we should not take seriously.

The US consul general to Hong Kong and Macao, Gregory May, could have won the hearts of Hong Kong people if he were speaking the truth about Hong Kong. However, he did not, because he works for the US government.

He made headlines in November with his takeaway order of a two-dish rice lunch box in Central. The bargain meal has become popular again in recent years because of the economic slump triggered by the pandemic. Its low price and good taste make it a good choice for people who need to scrimp and save.

May’s “down-to-earth” pose did win him short-lived cheer, which subsided soon after he badmouthed Hong Kong at a recent forum, claiming that the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL) has caused a brain drain; that “individuals were unjustly detained”; and that Hong Kong’s judicial independence was compromised by the interpretation of the NSL by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

As a senior diplomat representing the US government in Hong Kong with good knowledge about the city, he should not have neglected the hard fact that the rule of law and order has returned to normalcy after the implementation of the NSL.

The implementation of the NSL and the overhaul of the city’s electoral system provide a safe and stable environment for Hong Kong to excel further in the post-COVID-19 era.

Hong Kong did experience a serious brain drain prior to and immediately after the 1997 handover because many people were worried about Hong Kong’s future amid the Western media’s gloomy predictions. Nevertheless, a majority of those who had left eventually came back because Hong Kong maintains its glamour and economic attractiveness.

History is likely to repeat itself this time as the worsening economic and political environments in the West are tearing up communities. Those Hong Kong residents who have left the city because of the NSL should have found that they are now stuck in a Catch-22 situation.

The serious racial conflicts, gun shootings and police brutality in the US, and the soaring inflation and frequent breakdown of public transport and public services in Europe, especially the UK, caused by massive strikes, have dealt a severe blow to those who fled Hong Kong after breaking the law during the 2019 riots. They should now have a better idea if Hong Kong still deserves the reputation of being a safe place with a robust rule of law as well as a metropolis with the best public transport and most efficient public services in the world.

May’s criticism of the NPCSC interpretation is also untenable. He misrepresented the facts.

The NPCSC interpretation did not deal with specific judicial proceedings but clarified the relevant provisions of the NSL. It does not in any way undermine Hong Kong’s judicial independence as guaranteed by the Basic Law.

If May really had the heart to get in touch with Hong Kong, and do genuine things in his position to improve Sino-American relations as far as Hong Kong is concerned, he should have done much more beyond posing for “likes”.

Not to be outdone, Britain, the closest ally of the US, with a deep-down colonialist nostalgia toward Hong Kong, has also been actively meddling in Hong Kong affairs, and repeatedly accused the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government of using the NSL to suppress Hong Kong people’s freedom. However, the UK’s Public Order Bill, which seeks to enlarge the police’s power to tackle protests, is widely criticized by local and international human rights activists as “draconian” and “worrying”.

Critics say the bill aimed at the increasingly frequent and violent protests in the UK “could result in undue and grave restrictions” on civil liberties. To name a few: It criminalizes the protest tactic of individuals attaching themselves to others, objects, or buildings intending to cause serious disruption; introduces a new criminal offense of obstructing major transport work; and introduces Serious Disruption Prevention Orders, new preventative court orders targeting protestors who are determined to repeatedly inflict disruption on the public.

I wonder what those Western politicians and officials who have criticized the NSL think about the UK’s Public Order Bill. So far, they have raised no objection to the bill.

All in all, the hypocrisy of the US-led West on freedom, civil liberties and national security has been exposed by its own deeds to its citizens and the international community.

The author, a Hong Kong-based freelance writer, is an adviser to the Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.