HONG KONG -- The reputation of Hong Kong as a global business center suffered another blow on Sunday, as a by-election loss by the democratic opposition left it unable to regain veto power in the city's Legislative Council. The result is expected to strengthen Beijing's political hold over the territory.
Election returns early Monday morning revealed that pro-Beijing candidate Rebecca Chan Hoi-ying had won the crucial seat by a margin of around 13,000 votes, or 6% of the total. She defeated the opposition's Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy activist who has been pushing for change in Hong Kong since the 1980s.
