US Vice President Joe Biden dropped by to meet Hong Kong opposition members Anson Chan and Martin Lee at the White House on Saturday. He expressed his support for democracy in Hong Kong. Lee and Chan later extended their appreciation to Biden in a high-profile approach.

This is another poor move by Hong Kong's pan-democracy groups to vent their dissatisfaction with Beijing toward Washington. These opponents are turning the internal affairs of Hong Kong into a confrontation between themselves and the country. They are bound to lose.

The New York Times also published an editorial entitled "Protecting Hong Kong's autonomy," which noted that the United Kingdom should take responsibility for speaking out with regard to Hong Kong's growing concerns over press freedoms and "interference" from the central government.

But no matter whether it is the White House or the New York Times, it will have little impact on Hong Kong's future. Siding with the West is an unwise choice for pan-democracy groups.

These groups have reached a dead end: Why must candidates for the 2017 universal suffrage love China and Hong Kong? In other words, why can't those who oppose the central government run for the chief executive?

The answer is simple: Hong Kong is not a country but a special administrative region of China. The opposition can oppose the region's internal affairs but cannot confront the whole country.

The West is not able to lend a helping hand to Hong Kong's opposition. The UK in the 1980s was in a much tougher position than it is now, but had to compromise with China in negotiations over Hong Kong's return. Compared with the UK, the role that the US can play nowadays is much smaller.

Pan-democracy forces had better face reality and think how they can play a constructive role in making Hong Kong a better place. There should be people with enough wisdom and foresight who place the public interest above individual gain.

Thailand, Ukraine and Taiwan have run into trouble in their election processes. The Chinese government will not allow such trouble to take place in Hong Kong, which is the central government's obligation to Hong Kong. A color revolution will not wend its way into Hong Kong, even with Western support.

Hong Kong has great potential to develop democracy, which needs the efforts of both pan-democratic and pro-Beijing parties. To confront the central government arrogantly is blindly copying Western models and exploiting Hong Kong's democratic resources. Hong Kong's opposition should not believe the West is their savior.