As a senator, Kerry did harbor a soft spot for Pakistan. It remains to be seen whether his sympathy will continue after his appointment as head of the State Department.
Many people interpret the similarities between films and current events as proof that the Arab Spring was a U.S. conspiracy orchestrated some time ago. According to this opinion, those films were made as "simulation programs" for arousing people and pushing them to revolt against their rulers.
By complaining, the U.S. conveniently allows both countries to ease their way out of the problem. It reassures the Chinese public that Hong Kong never yielded to American pressure, while lending credence to U.S. opinion that Washington still holds the upper hand.