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While many Hong Kong people criticize mainlanders for being indecent, they may not know that some mainlanders criticize them for their "civilized rudeness", as typified by the young man's improper photo-taking.

Hong Kong has been a unique economic "superconnector" for the mainland, a role that has reinforced the city's global status as a finance and trade hub. The mainland has benefited massively from this, and, in recent years, it has learned a lot from Hong Kong as it improves its social and economic management.

Relations that are mutually beneficial need to be strengthened not weakened in this already turbulent world; it would be regrettable if relations between people in the mainland and people in the special administrative region were derailed by some childish bi-directional finger pointing or discrimination. After all, when they work together, they can face many challenges in a unified way, much better than could be achieved on their own. This was clearly demonstrated during the financial turmoil in Asia in 1997 and 1998, 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 before support from the central government turned the tide.

And mainlanders can hardly forget how together they tackled the severe acute respiratory syndrome crisis in 2003, when Hong Kong's experience in controlling the disease served as a valuable reference point for the mainland.

Clearly, when they join hands and work together, they emerge stronger.

There are still many uncertainties in the global economic recovery and there could be new crises in the future, so it is all the more sensible for people in both the mainland and Hong Kong to keep a check on any bad feelings about each other.

The author is senior writer with China Daily. xinzhiming@chinadaily.com.cn