HK & RMB
It is true that many Hong Kongers (still) look down on mainlanders. I've found that since I've arrived here in 2005, the view has become less-pronounced however, and newspaper polls have supported my feeling. Yet the view remains.
My interest these days however is thinking about everything in relationship to the RMB, or Chinese yuan. And I'm curious about the implications of a stronger CNY against HK popular perceptions.
As HK is tied to the weakening US dollar, the RMB increases in HK buying power. Therefore the very group that is looked down upon becomes better able to buy and spend in visits to HK. This situation is highly artificial, as the increase in spending ability is partly the result of the fixed dollar peg. Yet as the ability to spend always carries influence for HK-ers, it has a certain unintended sociological effect.
It might be interesting to look at the change in perceptions of mainlanders in relation to the yuan's appreciation and see if a correlation exists...