Like Shanghainese, Hongkongers enjoy a sense of superiority from economic prosperity.
However, they also have another factor missing form the Shanghainese mind: insecurity.
They worry about the number of mainland visitors, view Shenzhen and Yangshan as rivals in the logistics industry, and fear that Shanghai would replace Hong Kong as an international financial hub.
At the same time, they also care about the economic performance of the mainland. They welcome the high speed railway project connecting the city to the vast Pearl River Delta, and, most locals I met speak at least conversational Putonghua.
The shaping of a previously non-existent national identity takes time.
When about 80 percent of the population was educated under colonial rule, the subconscious swings between and the calculative leverage of old and new self-portrayals become understandable.
