With Elections, Hong Kong Antagonizes China

Growing antagonism between Hong Kong and Beijing in recent months has led to intense debates over political autonomy and universal suffrage for Hong Kong's 2017 election of a chief executive. Many Hong Kong residents consider autonomy and universal suffrage critical to preserving the city-state's democratic values. Beijing's unease over its authority in the city-state and concerns over Hong Kong's growing hostility have increasingly dampened these aspirations.

There are still chances for compromise on the electoral arrangement, but the animosity that has paralyzed relations between Hong Kong and the mainland cannot be mitigated without a broader adjustment of Beijing's perceived "mainlandization" policies. Beijing's hard-line rhetoric, combined with growing signs of nativism and political radicalism in Hong Kong, will only diminish chances for a peaceful transition leading up to the 2017 chief executive election and beyond. Anything other than a peaceful transition could jeopardize not only Hong Kong's already declining competitive edge but also Beijing's commitment to a "one country, two system" arrangement and hopes for eventual unification with Taiwan.