America has a love-hate relationship with meddling. America hates meddling, such as foreign meddling in its own politics.

The alleged Russian interference in 2016 presidential elections is still plaguing American politics.

But America also loves meddling – its own meddling in politics and internal affairs of other places, such as Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and now China's Hong Kong. However, it does not call it meddling, rather freedom and democracy. But poison by any other names is just as poisonous.

First of all, what does meddling mean? It means to be involved in something that is none of your business. But Americans believe in the universality of their values: freedom and democracy American version.

They think what happened in Hong Kong is a freedom and democracy issue, so it is their business.

But the Chinese do not agree.

The Chinese have a long history of being meddled with, from the British after the Opium War, to the Japanese in the World War II and the Americans during the civil war between the Kuomintang army and the Communist-led forces.

The Chinese have a deep rooted antipathy against fingers pointing at its sovereignty. And Hong Kong politics is a local problem within a sovereign power.

Americans should be sympathetic.

Just imagine if China suddenly supports California for doubting federal government's policy on immigration or national defense, how will Washington react?

But Washington would not react, because it believes America is above others, or to be exact, America is beyond doubt.

But America is no savior. It only cares about its own interests. In the eyes of many Chinese, the America is interested in sowing discord among parties in Hong Kong. American politicians know it, but the American people don't.

Unfortunately, some Hong Kongers side with America against China as they tear their city apart. That's called treason in most places. In Hong Kong, it's not.

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