Don’t overestimate Hong Kong’s importance on Beijing’s legislative and governing agenda

Real life is full of paradox, indecision and error, punctuated by rare moments of decisiveness and coherence.

Any constitution document, or the Basic Law as we call it here, that cannot survive the actions of nihilistic fools and the outrage of aggrieved patriotism is truly not worth anything.

That is what the localists have shown us.

Our institutions are made of flimsy cork board, easily punctured when they are no longer useful. The Basic Law is like a store display in Central – it can be changed at a moment’s notice. Two hooligans did Hong Kong an immense favour by revealing that.

Comprehending what that means for business requires an understanding of Chinese attitudes. An agreement is at best guidance, or at worst the starting point of negotiations.

Those who do business in China know that cultivating a relationship means more than defending a document. With a good relationship in China anything is possible; with a bad relationship, nothing is.

China’s main business priority for Hong Kong is stability through the rule of law or from its perspective law of rules. Their vision of stability is based on loyalty and good proscribed behaviour.