What people in the know claim is happening is, the ever-patient CCP has been putting party faithful in place in HK for years and now when they are ready, they have people in control who will do what Bejing says.
There is no doubt that China will win. HK is theirs and withoout doubt the actual truth is that thousands of protesters have already been eliminated, just as the CCP always does. But most westerners fall for the PR they put out and are none the wiser.
They’re going to integrate HK and Shenzhen, which despite it’s growth and tech is nowhere near HK in terms of per capita income.
The scary thing is they are planning to eventually do the same thing with Taiwan.
“There is no doubt that China will win.”
They already own Hong Kong, it is just a matter of when the “One Country, Two Systems” is either officially renounced, or no longer recognized by the International community.
It sure seems unlikely that the communists will wait until 2047.
If Hong Kong independence is no longer recognized internationally, the Mainland will have dramatically less access to foreign capital/hard foreign exchange.
It could trigger a fundamental restructuring of the Mainland’s relations with the Global economy.
Seems like things are coming to a head in the coming days, months and year.