Hong Kong: Pro-Democracy Elections Landslide

[bone]

BBC, WaPo, NYT reporting on Hong Kong Elections:

Beijing Utterly Humiliated by Hong Kong Elections. BBC calls it a “stinging rebuke” for Beijing and Mayor Lam, and strong symbolic support for the Democracy Protests.

Record voter turnout of 71.2%, Pro-Beijing Representatives swept out of office, Pro-Democracy Representation dominates as 17 out of 18 District Councils are now Pro-Dem.

“Mayor Lam’s government, and China's leaders in Beijing, had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority" which they say disapproves of the protests.

But that did not materialise - instead high-profile pro-Beijing candidates lost their seats as voters backed pro-democracy candidates.”


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ny...orld/asia/hong-kong-election-results.amp.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/in-hong-kong-elections-big-defeat-for-elites-pressures-beijing-to-rethink-approach/2019/11/25/ef7b1dbc-0f29-11ea-924c-b34d09bbc948_story.html?outputType=amp

 

[Wallet]

BBC, WaPo, NYT reporting on Hong Kong Elections:

Beijing Utterly Humiliated by Hong Kong Elections. BBC calls it a “stinging rebuke” for Beijing and Mayor Lam, and strong symbolic support for the Democracy Protests.

Record voter turnout of 71.2%, Pro-Beijing Representatives swept out of office, Pro-Democracy Representation dominates as 17 out of 18 District Councils are now Pro-Dem.

“Mayor Lam’s government, and China's leaders in Beijing, had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority" which they say disapproves of the protests.

But that did not materialise - instead high-profile pro-Beijing candidates lost their seats as voters backed pro-democracy candidates.”


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ny...orld/asia/hong-kong-election-results.amp.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/in-hong-kong-elections-big-defeat-for-elites-pressures-beijing-to-rethink-approach/2019/11/25/ef7b1dbc-0f29-11ea-924c-b34d09bbc948_story.html?outputType=amp

It will be interesting going forward how this plays out. Imo, China will not back down and show weakness, they’ve been lobbying for other nations to denounce the HK protests hoping they will eventually lose steam and public awareness.

Things are just the opposite atm. This could escalate with China moving in and crushing HK in open defiance to the rest of the world, knocking the ball back into the US and NATO’s court.

 

[Banjo]

Yep. may become a watershed moment for China.

Meanwhile out in the Chinese outback.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...g-camps-leaked-to-foreign-media-idUSKBN1XZ0DH

 

[bone]

This could escalate with China moving in and crushing HK in open defiance to the rest of the world, knocking the ball back into the US and NATO’s court.

That would be the biggest mistake Xi could make and he knows it. They’d be left with Russia and Iran as trading partners - full stop.

North America, the EU, and all the regional Pacific Rim Democracies including South Korea, Australia, Japan would economically blockade China if, as you say, China were to move in militarily and “crush” Hong Kong.

NATO wouldn’t have to lift a finger.

 

[Wallet]

That would be the biggest mistake Xi could make and he knows it. They’d be left with Russia and Iran as trading partners - full stop.

North America, the EU, and all the regional Pacific Rim Democracies including South Korea, Australia, Japan would economically blockade China if, as you say, China were to move in militarily and “crush” Hong Kong.

NATO wouldn’t have to lift a finger.

Agree the ramifications of moving in, nullifying elections, some type of martial law action would have dire consequences on the world stage. But I don’t think you can ignore the internal pressures to retain control.

 

[Banjo]

China issues warning over Hong Kong after election blow
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...es-warning-over-hong-kong-after-election-blow

 

[bone]

OK, now I understand why there's movement on trade with the US...

Beijing has got a serious problem on its hands much closer to home...

The Chinese Communist Party in a business suit, subtle as ever.

China issues warning over Hong Kong after election blow
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...es-warning-over-hong-kong-after-election-blow

 

[bone]

Hong Kong, ranked at the top of the economic freedom index since 1995 and one of world history's biggest success stories in terms of Democracy and Capitalism being absorbed by the Chinese Communist Party - you just knew this wasn't going to end well.

Agree the ramifications of moving in, nullifying elections, some type of martial law action would have dire consequences on the world stage. But I don’t think you can ignore the internal pressures to retain control.

 

[Snarkhund]

A crackdown is inevitable at this point.

Thousands will end up in detention camps in China. Probably hundreds will be killed.

What a mess.

 

[bone]

A crackdown in inevitable at this point.

Thousands will end up in detention camps in China. Probably hundreds will be killed.

What a mess.

If that happens they will be destroying what they have built up since 1992. That economy and their political prestige is pretty much reliant upon exports to socially liberal Democracies.

Mexico, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam wouldn't mind it one bit, though. Probably looking forward to it.