Earlier this month, the Inter Miami CF football team, which has several superstars like Lionel Messi, was invited to Hong Kong with remuneration to play in an exhibition match against Hong Kong XI. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the city attached great importance to this event, treating the team, especially Messi, as guests of honor and showering its members with overwhelming and unprecedented publicity and adoration.
However, it’s deplorable that Messi, so beloved by many Hong Kong fans and residents, inexplicably displayed a contemptuous attitude toward his hosts. He did not play in the game, failed to explain why he didn’t take to the pitch, and deliberately skipped the awards ceremony. Even more bizarre was that he looked completely different three days later when he played in Japan. He was courteous to Japanese fans, looked relaxed, and ran freely during the 30 minutes on the field, showing absolutely no sign of injury. The vast difference between Messi’s words and deeds in the SAR and Japan has made most Hong Kong fans and residents angry, humiliated, disappointed and nonplussed.
As to why Messi had behaved so strangely, he and Inter Miami explained that he was injured. However, the explanation was rejected as entirely incredible as the soccer star could easily compete in Tokyo three days after leaving Hong Kong. Some say it’s due to flawed contract terms, while others say it was due to conflicts between Messi and his team’s management. But, these shouldn’t be the reasons for Messi to belittle and infuriate Hong Kong fans and residents. Messi and Inter Miami shouldn’t have applied for SAR government support as they had deliberately embarrassed the SAR government, infuriated local residents, and damaged the city’s reputation. Some people even suggest that Messi discriminates against “yellow” people, but such a view fails to explain why he was so courteous to the Japanese. He had not shown disrespect for Chinese people when he played against soccer teams in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland in the past.
Everyone will soon try to analyze and explain what such an incident had taken place from a political perspective, and feel it could only be fully understood from a political angle. As more Hong Kong residents and mainland compatriots come to understand it from a political standpoint, the political effects would be worth paying attention to.
Although some people believed the “Messi incident” might cause damage Hong Kong’s international reputation to a certain extent, others feel it's impossible for the SAR, with its reputation of a “hospitable city”, to suffer irreparable losses because of a single incident. Many people at home and abroad apparently feel that Hong Kong is a “victim” that deserves sympathy and respect, so the damage to its world image should be minimal. Although some Western media and people with ulterior motives, or out of schadenfreude, have used the opportunity to ridicule Hong Kong and questioned its ability to host major international events, the harm done to the city would prove to be very little. On the contrary, although Messi’s behavior has made many Hong Kong fans and residents extraordinarily disappointed and shocked, it did not trigger riots, demonstrations or protests that would endanger the SAR’s g stability and global reputation that some internal and external forces hostile to Hong Kong would like to see. Although many Hong Kong residents have criticized and excoriated Messi and Inter Miami, and have demanded explanations and compensation from the event’s organizer, Tatler Asia, they’ve remained rational, peaceful and patient.
The “Messi incident” is viewed by many Hong Kong residents mainly from a political angle, believing that external forces were behind it, especially the United States. Even if there’s no conclusive evidence, the belief is it had been politically motivated. It’s felt that Messi, as the main superstar of a US soccer team, had acted in a way that was detrimental to Hong Kong because of irresistible pressure from external forces. Its purpose is to tarnish the SAR’s international reputation and image, induce Hong Kong residents to react radically or even violently, undermine the city’s stability, and foment confrontation and conflict between local residents and the SAR government. Regardless of whether this view is accurate or isn’t, such a “political conspiracy theory” is widely accepted because some Western countries, especially the US, have been doing everything they can to harangue and smear Hong Kong. At Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s trial, they’ve hysterically castigated and pressured the prosecutors and judges. Under such circumstances, it’s natural for so many Hong Kong residents to associate the “Messi incident” with external forces. Inevitably, this view could have significant and discernible political consequences.
The restraint and civility shown by Hong Kong residents as “victims” of the incident reflect their laudable civic qualities and social responsibilities. Such civic qualities will help to change the world’s negative image of Hong Kong residents following the riots and street violence of the past. Hong Kong residents have been torn by fierce and violent struggles for many years and have a strong demand for stability and order. The long-term chaos in Hong Kong ended only after the central government promulgated and implemented the Hong Kong National Security Law. Today, Hong Kong residents greatly cherish the hard-won stability, and adamantly refuse to allow turmoil to return. In addition, under the protection of Hong Kong’s national security law, the city’s “anti-China insurrectionists” have been curbed, and it would be difficult for them to exploit the “Messi incident” to incite and organize the masses to cause trouble as in the past.
Since many local residents may understand the incident from a “political conspiracy” perspective although they may have complaints and grudges against the SAR government’s handling of the soccer match, generally, they seem to point the finger at external forces, especially the US and the West. For this reason, people tend to regard themselves and the SAR government as innocent “victims” and want to seek justice from Messi, Inter Miami and Tatler Asia. As the case prompted Hong Kong residents and the SAR government to work together to safeguard the city’s interests and reputation, Tatler Asia was forced to refund 50 percent of the prices of the tickets fans had bought through proper channels to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. Messi and Inter Miami may not necessarily apologize or compensate Hong Kong due to pressure from the public and the SAR government. Their stubbornness will only strengthen the strong bonds between Hong Kong residents and the SAR government.
At the same time, the “political conspiracy theory” has raised residents’ national security awareness. When they believe that external forces have sinister intentions against Hong Kong, they will fully understand why the “color revolution” that ravaged the city had occurred, and will have a more profound sense and understanding of the threats facing the country and the SAR. The people’s understanding and fear of, as well as vigilance against external forces and “anti-China insurrectionists” will also increase. This will strengthen their sense of responsibility and urgency when it comes to safeguarding national security and increasing people’s support for, and recognition of the process to legislate Article 23 of the Basic Law being conducted in Hong Kong. Therefore, the “Messi incident” is excellent pedagogical material for national security education.
Our compatriots on the Chinese mainland also share the grievances suffered by Hong Kong residents as a result of the incident, and believe that Messi and Inter Miami are contemptuous of and discriminatory toward Chinese people. Therefore, they have expressed strong disdain for Messi and the Inter Miami team. Beijing and Hangzhou have subsequently decided to deny Messi the opportunity to play or compete on the mainland. Some mainland companies that had hired the Argentinian superstar as a spokesperson for their products have cut ties with him, causing Messi and his associated teams to suffer heavy economic losses, and they may even lose the vast and lucrative mainland market. Mainland compatriots have sympathized with Hong Kong and come to the aid of its residents, reflecting their solid and emotional ties with Hong Kong people. This will fortify Hong Kong residents’ national concept and consciousness, especially among young people. Thus, the “Messi incident” is an excellent textbook on national education.
The incident has confirmed that Hong Kong has entered the “post-disorder” period. After the central government acted to restore order in Hong Kong, the city has formed a vital structure that could prevent unrest and maintain stability in terms of institutions, law, politics and people’s hearts and minds. In other words, it will become increasingly difficult for hostile internal and external forces to instigate riots and another “color revolution” in the SAR.
Regardless of whether the incident is the work of external forces, it will make the central government, the SAR government, patriotic forces, and Hong Kong residents more alert and united in countering provocations and disruptions by external forces.
The author is a professor emeritus of sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
