Big leap in bad feelings towards Hong Kong government and mainlanders, poll finds

The number of Hongkongers holding negative feelings towards the city government, Beijing and mainlanders is up by about 40 per cent since November, a poll by the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong found.

At the same time barely a fifth of Hongkongers reported positive feelings towards mainlanders, down by half since 2008.

More than a third - 37 per cent - of the people polled said they had negative feelings towards the mainland government, 12 percentage points higher than the last poll in November last year.

The rate of Hong Kong people having negative feelings towards mainlanders also rose, from just over a quarter - 26 per cent - to 36 per cent during the same period. Both findings are historical highs since 2006.

People with positive feelings towards mainlanders also fell to the lowest level, just 21 per cent. In 2008, the number was 41 per cent, but it has dropped continuously in subsequent years.

Bad feelings towards the Hong Kong government also intensified, with 35 per cent holding such feelings, up 12 percentage points on the last poll.