The discontent from Hong Kong and Beijings heavy-handed response to the student-led protest movement is spreading to an even more important group than celebrities like Chow Yun-Fat: Hong Kong Billionaires. James Tien, a former clothing and property magnate prior to becoming a Hong Kong politician, was head of the Liberal Party until yesterday when he was promptly removed from the Liberal Party and Legislative Council of Hong Kong after publicly stating that Hong Kongs Beijing-backed Chief Executive should resign. He is not the only member of Hong Kongs business elite to fail to live up to Beijings expectations. Another powerful pro-Beijing Hong Kong politician, Jasper Tsang, has now publicly challenged the assertion made by Chinese state-media and the Beijing government that the protest movement is actually being organized by Western agents. Even more telling is the fact that Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau-kee, Kuok Hock Nien, and Woo Kwong-ching - four of Asias wealthiest men - remained silent in a personal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he called upon them for a united front in responding to the Hong Kong protests. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-yings popularity has reached an all-time low in the latest poll of Hong Kong residents. Nonetheless, “Beijing is supporting Leung during the crisis at all costs,” and risked alienating Hong Kongs elites even more when Chinese state-media published an article - which was quickly taken down - which named all four of the Hong Kong billionaires who remained silent at their meeting with Xi Jinping and accused them of disloyalty. The pro-Beijing supporters have claimed from the beginning that the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement would splinter if given enough time… instead what we are seeing now is the splintering of the pro-Beijing camp and, given Jinping and Leungs rigidity in handling this crisis, it looks like the splintering will only grow worse in days ahead.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:48:36 +0000
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