State Council commissions report into Occupy Central's economic impact
State Council research centre to check whether investors have fundamentally changed their views about Hong Kong and the mainland
A State Council think tank will study the economic impact of Occupy Central, with a key focus on whether pro-democracy protests have fundamentally shifted investor views about Hong Kong and the mainland.
A source with direct knowledge of the study said it aimed to gauge if investors had changed their assessment of Hong Kong and its economic prospects in the wake of the demonstrations.
It would also seek to understand how money managers thought it might affect the keenly awaited 550 billion yuan (HK$694 billion) Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme that will directly link share trading in the two cities.
That scheme had been expected to start by the end of the month but sources in financial markets say they are being told to expect delays of several weeks.
"This is the most important issue in Hong Kong now," the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of Occupy.
Analysts from the State Council's Development Research Centre have been studying Occupy's potential impact since spring, when speculation was swirling about whether the civil disobedience campaign would have enough momentum to get people on to the streets.
Demonstration plans were set into motion when Beijing announced in August electoral reform proposals that fell short of campaigners' demands.