Editor's note: Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain, and the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday is commencing in Hong Kong, hundreds of locals joined pro-government gatherings and marched on September 12 in Hong Kong malls, the largest being in the IFC mall in Central. Participants aimed to counter rival events from localist protesters, singing China’s national anthem and also waving the country’s flag. They chanted that “Hong Kong is China!” and “Support Hong Kong’s police!” The events were at large peaceful, with only a few minor frictions between the two groups. 

Not surprisingly, the pro-government events were completely ignored by the Western mainstream media, who only want to report a specific anti-government narrative in the city favoring disruptive activists. Far from being completely united against the Chinese mainland, there remain many voices in the city that still identify with mainland and accept the city’s status as a part of China. 

In the midst of the hysteria, these people might be described as Hong Kong’s hidden voice, or “silent majority.” In turn, the Western media are attempting to take a radical portion of activists and make them the undisputed voice of the entire region. 

If you have no personal experience of Hong Kong, and if you only read what Western journalists tell you, you are likely to come to the opinion that the entire city is united against Chinese mainland, in support of the activists and that every attempt to defend China’s role or position should be dismissed as nothing more than a superficial creation of the Communist Party of China (CPC). This is the magnitude of deception that audiences around the world have received: that a cohort of radical young protesters, intent on destroying public property in the name of discontent and in pursuit of America’s attention, is what all residents truly want.  

Not quite. Hong Kong like any other in the world, is a complex society with many layers, groupings and perspectives. Not all individuals in the city see the Chinese mainland antagonistically, something which is overwhelmingly concentrated amongst the 18-24 age group. 

Although it is true to say that owing to the history of being a separate territory, some residents perceive themselves first in a light of a “Hong Kong identity”, such is not a zero-sum game, with large portions of the city identifying the notion of “Hong Kong” with concepts of China and Chinese belonging. In essence, even if a resident is led to believe Hong Kong is “different”, this does not mean they reject the notion of the city’s existence as part of China and support violent activism. 

As a result, the Western narrative that protests receive universal backing from Hong Kong residents is not true. The reality is such that is a much more divisive and contentious topic than assumed, one which has created polarized reactions and even divided families. Given this scenario, pro-government counter marches have been a common response to Hong Kong “localist” activism. 

Such are not a new phenomenon in response to recent events, but have occurred now for years. Participants involved usually feel passionate against the fact that local activists are trying to divide the country and attack their identity, seeking to gain the support of foreign forces to act against China. 

However, the Western media have a habit of either ignoring these protests or misreporting them as state-organized activities. For example, the recent event in the IFC mall was ignored completely. The BBC, which places any “pro-Hong Kong” event at the forefront of its own news, did not cover it. 

Alternatively, the media may simply dismiss such as an artificial move by the CPC, weaponizing tactful deceptions on the ground by black shirt activists to push the narrative. They may claim demonstrators were simply paid, or place Chinese flags in a trash can to show how the marchers “really don’t care about China.” In any sense, pro-government opinions are not recognized or treated as legitimate, they are simply ignored. 

In this case, it is important to have perspective and see beyond the media mirage. Not everyone in Hong Kong is opposed to China and in support of violent, radical activism. Rather, a small cohort of activists has been given blanket support by the Western media and in turn is allowed to shape the narrative in their favor as they please, aiming to bring international retribution against their own city and country. 

In this case, it is absolutely crucial to recognize the truth: that not everyone in Hong Kong accepts this. The IFC march is a firm reminder of a much more nuanced, competing state of affairs, something no Western journalist will ever be honest to you about. 

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