HK toilet tussle drains relations

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Hong Kong has been a unique "super connector" for the mainland through its economic and other activities and exchanges with the rest of the world, a role which simply reinforces Hong Kong's global position as a finance and trade hub.

And, of course, the mainland was already benefitting massively from the region in its bridging role, long before the reform and opening-up of the late '70s, and, in recent years has learned an awful lot from it, especially as it improves its social and economic situation.

So, relations that are mutually beneficial need to be strengthened, not weakened, in this already turbulent world and should not be derailed by some childish by-directional finger-pointing or discrimination.

After all, mainlanders and the people of Hong Kong are both Chinese and have no reason to stop the cooperation and, when they truly work together, they can face many challenges in a unified way, much better than could be achieved on their own.

The most demonstrative example of this was the 1997-98 period of cooperation during Asia's financial turmoil, when they faced down international finance moguls and their attempts at speculation.

Some East Asian countries easily fell prey to the bullying of international capitalists and Hong Kong had a very rough time at first, according to some officials who experienced the crisis, before support from the central government turned the tide and Hong Kong sailed on peacefully.

And mainlanders can hardly forget how the two dealt with the lethal bird flu virus together in 2003, when Hong Kong's experience in controlling the disease served as a valuable reference point for the mainland. So, obviously, when they join hands and work together, they get stronger.

There are still many uncertainties in the global economic recovery and there could be yet newer crises bubbling out there somewhere, so it is all the more sensible for the two to cooperate more in preparing for stormy clouds in the future. And, it is especially important for people in the two places to keep a check on any bad feelings about each other.