Why Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing camp may have to get used to losing
- Half a year has passed since the city erupted into turmoil, exposing divisions over its future.
- In a new series, the South China Morning Post looks at the road ahead for Hong Kong and the challenges its people can expect to face.
“So [the landslide win] by the opposition has effectively ushered in a political process through which [the opposition] would be able to seize power through elections and that would soon trigger a security crisis for the one country, two systems,” said Tian, who has advised China’s leaders on Hong Kong affairs.
The pro-establishment camp ran hard in the district council elections, but they were badly punished in an unusually high turnout of voters that left them with 42 per cent of the vote, suggesting they would lose support in September, he said at a seminar in China’s capital early this month.
It was clear the pro-Beijing camp would face an uphill battle in the next Legco elections, said another mainland expert on Hong Kong affairs at the same seminar, who spoke on condition his name would not be used. He added that pro-Beijing candidates went into the district council elections with all the advantages in terms of resources and experience, but they failed to turn that into winning votes.