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Protesters in Hong Kong have been waving the American flag and singing the American national anthem to signal their desire for democracy and opposition to the Communist Party of China. American politicians ranging from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have reciprocated by declaring their support.

Of course, the reality of fighting for democracy is far more complicated than the wishes of U.S. politicians.

As it turns out, many citizens of mainland China, who are supposed to be the ultimate beneficiaries of democratization in China, do not feel nearly as inspired as those in Washington or Hong Kong. In fact, resentment of Hong Kong’s protests runs high among segments of the mainland population.

In a poignant encounter at the Hong Kong International Airport recently, two mainland Chinese citizens angrily told Hong Kong protesters in Mandarin, the official language of China, that the protesters were Chinese and had no business hanging the American flag.

“Are we on American soil?!” one of the mainlanders demanded to know.

The protesters jeered. Their responses were scattered at first, with some saying they liked America and other saying they were not Communists.

Ultimately, security arrived and dragged the mainland citizen away. On his way out, he repeatedly screamed at the protesters, “We are Chinese! F— your mother!” His greeting to the protesters’ mothers was rendered in Cantonese, the native dialect of the Hong Kong protesters.

Eventually, the protesters found their collective response, and in unison chanted: “People of Hong Kong, add oil!”

“Add oil” means “keep it up.”

It is a chant the protesters have consistently used in their months-old movement. It is a touching rallying cry from ordinary citizens, many of whom are young people who do not wish to live under what they perceive as encroaching Chinese Communist rule.

Yet the mainlanders in this airport incident are hardly alone in voicing their disapproval.

In early August, amid Hong Kong’s ongoing protests, an angry online campaign took hold in mainland China to punish Western luxury brands that appeared to have designated Hong Kong and Macau which is a former Portuguese colony that has reverted to Chinese rule, as independent countries rather than part of China.

The luxury brands, including Coach, Versace, and Givenchy were accused of siding with the protesters of Hong Kong to undermine China’s sovereignty. In the melee that followed, the luxury brands quickly apologized and groveled for forgiveness.

Outside observers can say the nationalist fervor of mainlanders is misguided. If the state-owned media in China were not fanning anti-Hong Kong nationalist sentiments, and if basic rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were readily available there, mainlanders perhaps would not be as so hostile to the democratic aspirations of the people of Hong Kong.

Yet many of these mainlanders are educated and well traveled, and are exposed to differing political opinions, including those in Hong Kong. That exposure has not necessarily changed their minds.

American politicians have long voiced their support for democracy. It is a reflection of this country’s ideals. After all, America’s foreign policy is not value neutral. In light of the recent clashes between mainland Chinese and Hong Kong citizens, however, U.S. policymakers should ask themselves: What if what they want for China is different from what the people of China want for themselves?

Ying Ma is the author of “Chinese Girl in the Ghetto,” which was released in audiobook in 2018. During the 2016 election, she served as the deputy director of the Committee for American Sovereignty, a pro-Trump super PAC. Follow her on Twitter: @GZtoGhetto.