CFR Daily News Brief Update 10/2 Beijing Backs Hong Kong Leader

ble to see the message below, click here to view.

Daily News Brief October 2, 2014

Top of the Agenda Beijing Backs Hong Kong Leader Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong surged on day two of China's national holiday. On a visit to Washington, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the protests (SCMP) as "illegal," called on Hong Kong authorities to handle the protests lawfully, and dismissed all commentary from the United States and the UK as interference in China's internal affairs. The state newspaper People's Daily firmly backed (NYT) Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, while stating that the protest movement is damaging the city's rule of law. Meanwhile, protesters demanded Leung's resignation, vowing to escalate (WSJ) protests by occupying and surrounding government buildings if their demands are not met. Analysis "There are three plausible outcomes. First, protesters win small concessions on democracy. Second, more likely, Mr Leung does not budge and Hong Kong returns to an uneasy status quo ante in which the limits of the formula are glaringly apparent. Third is that Beijing calls a halt to the whole one country, two systems proceedings. The chances of that are remote. Hong Kong's openness—financial as well as political —is what makes it important to China," writes David Pilling in the Financial Times. "The vast majority of protesters want nothing less than for our current head of government, C.Y. Leung, and his senior ministers, to step down. Realistically, this won't happen—at least anytime soon. In the meantime, he and his team must come up with something that will give the protesters a reason to pack up and go home. And they must come up with it soon," writes Anson Chan in Time. "One of the most striking features of Hong Kong remains the relative absence of a mainland political presence. The Chinese have persisted with what can best be described as a hands-off approach. Their relationship to the administration is either indirect or behind the scenes. Strange as it may seem, the Chinese are not involved in the cut and thrust of political argument. They will need to find more effective ways of making their views clear and arguing their case—not in Beijing but in Hong Kong," writes Martin Jacques in the Guardian.