Hong Kong protests will test China’s strategy
The unrest in Hong Kong is possibly one of the biggest crises that China has faced since Tiananmen Square erupted in 1989. Then, as in now, students led thousands onto the streets, demanding more freedom and democracy. In response, the Chinese Government launched a brutal crackdown that brought it international condemnation and economic sanctions. Almost three decades later, it is unlikely to make the same mistakes — partly because it is much more conscious of its international image today and, more importantly, because, its hands are tied in Hong Kong in a way that they are not in mainland China. Since the British transferred control of that region to China in 1997, Hong Kong has maintained a certain degree of autonomy and its residents enjoy greater freedom than their counterparts in the Chinese mainland. In short, Beijing can't deal with dissenters in Hong Kong in the way that it controls anti-Government protests in Tibet or Xinjiang. Thankfully, it has exercised restraint over these past few days, and that has prevented the protests from spiralling out of control. However, the situation is still tense, following clashes between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing demonstrators. Also, many are rightly worried that if the situation is not resolved quickly enough, Hong Kong's reputation as Asia's economic hub will be severely damaged.
This is not the first time that there have been anti-Beijing protests in Hong Kong — in 2003, there was an upheaval in the region following plans to introduce harsh security laws; in 2012, students took to the streets to oppose the induction of ‘patriotic education' in the school syllabus. In the second case, the protesters were led by a teenager named Joshua Wong. His outfit Scholarism has since become one of the most successful pressure groups in Hong Kong, and expectedly Wong, now 17 years old, is at the forefront of the ongoing protests as well. But while in the previous cases, the authorities made small concessions, it is unclear what they can offer this time around to satisfy the protesters. When Hong Kong casts its vote in 2017, it wants a free election and universal suffrage. But Beijing has made clear that it will vet the candidates and allow only three to contest. In response, the protesters are pressuring the region's leader, Mr leung Chun-ying, to either push their demands with the Chinese Government or quit. A Beijing appointee himself, Mr leung has offered to talk to the protesters but overall, he has stuck with his political masters. If things get out of hand, he may be sacrificed as an appeasement tactic but only to be replaced by another Beijing loyalist.