Things have heated up in Hong Kong enough to make Chinese President Xi Jinping uncomfortable. After pro-democracy protesters shutdown Hong Kongs downtown this weeked, authorities responded with tear gas which, in turn, provoked international outcry. As word of this spread across social media, within hours Instagram was shut down in China by government censors prompting anger even from those with little political interest when they found themselves unable to access the popular site. Jinping is caught in something of a Catch-22. Chinese authorities fear giving into pro-democracy demands lest there is a contagion effect in mainland China but, on the other hand, they wish to avoid the PR nightmare of another Tiananmen Square. This issue is made especially difficult since many in China have been arguing for a political reunion with Taiwan in which Taiwan would be governed as a Special Administrative Region, similarly to how Hong Kong is governed. If Beijing has any intention of creating a kind or nice image in the hearts of Taiwan people, what happened over the weekend in Hong Kong is extremely unhelpful, commented one Taiwanese professor. So far China seems uncertain how to proceed - they have pulled back police and ceased voicing support for Hong Kongs current Chief Executive who pro-democracy protesters oppose. Will the protesters manage to hold what theyve won? The ball is now in Jinpings court and he has tough choices ahead...
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:34:13 +0000
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