bullshit
Who deserves to be local is subjective since the Chinese go by racial hierarchy. Caucasians born in hk/ long-term residents are proudly seen as Hong kongers whereas majority of HK born Cantonese speaking 'south Asians' , barring a handful who've been really lucky , are treated like third class citizens.
And I also dont give a flying f*ck about 'saving face' cultural shit because it is nothing but arrogance. During one of the family cny dinners this year, my father in law (local Chinese) asked me to drink to which I politely declined since I was on antibiotics those days. Apparently he had 'lost face' on front of others and complained to my wife as if I cared. Gone are the days when it was necessary to do as the Romans did. There are aspects of Chinese culture I really admire, like hard work and family bonding, but I don't bow down to illogical cultural shit, no matter how severe the backlash.