The ideal of universal suffrage is enshrined in the Basic Law, or "mini-constitution," that governs Hong Kong. The rulers in Beijing at the end of August dashed hopes of finally putting that aspiration into practice, proposing a system that allows the city's residents to vote for their chief executive yet all but limits their choices to pro-mainland candidates.
Some are vowing to keep up the fight for genuine democracy, but the odds are stacked against them. The fact is, China's place in the world is very different today than it was in 1984, when the Sino-British Joint Declaration outlined the U.K.- controlled enclave's future under Chinese sovereignty. Back then, Beijing desperately needed capital and expertise, resources Hong Kong had in spades. Thirty years later, China is the world's second-largest economy and is oozing confidence. The central government sees little reason to be shy about protecting its interests.




