US consulate personnel in Hong Kong were revealed to have held meetings with student representatives who led the class boycott campaign. This news stirred up Hong Kong society, sparking heated discussion.

Some students kicked off a week-long boycott of classes from September 22. The Hong Kong opposition camp now is busy with preparations to launch the "Occupy Central" protest during the National Day holidays. Behind the scenes is external support from the US and the West, as has been proven by the latest media exposures.

Western support serves as an anchor to the pan-democracy camp. They are emboldened by Western champion, misperceiving what they are doing as a moral cause and misjudging the risks that "Occupy Central" could bring.  

Sino-US relations are complicated. Competition is a normal state of the bilateral relationship. The more divergences Hong Kong has, the greater the possibility that it will draw attention from the US and be used as a card to trouble China. 

The US has plenty of approaches to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, either through covert meddling, or blunt intervention. If China disregards the temporary turbulence in Hong Kong, the influence of US tactics will abate.

From an overall perspective, China's strategic initiative in the China-US relationship has been on the rise. The US influence on Hong Kong is not significant enough to be a trump card in competition with China. But the problem is that some radical forces in Hong Kong are catering to the US, which may increase US leverage. 

Hong Kong society should have a grand vision and be clearly aware of its position in the strategic rivalry between China and the US. Hongkongers should firmly object to radical forces, who are attempting to kidnap the destiny of the whole region for their own political ends. The US will inevitably stretch its hands into Hong Kong. If Hong Kong turns into a wrestling field of the US to hedge China's rise, that will be a disaster for all of Hong Kong. 

Washington hasn't started openly intervening in Hong Kong. The pan-democracy camp had better not count on that. Hong Kong's development cannot afford any direct collision and confrontation between China and the US in the region. China hopes for a prosperous Hong Kong with great sincerity and motivation. There is a misperception that the Chinese mainland wants to jeopardize the democracy of Hong Kong. The mainland has made strides in the rule of law. Hongkongers should get rid of their illusions.