> it didn't naturally come to its anti-CCP ideology through an organic, internal and independent process. I think you give Hong Kongers too little credit here.

> it didn't naturally come to its anti-CCP ideology through an organic, internal and independent process. I think you give Hong Kongers too little credit here. In fact, by 1997 many of those who hated China already voted with their feet and emigrated elsewhere; most of those who remained had high hopes that China will uphold its end of the bargain and become a well-behaved superpower. The real irony is that the much more frequent interactions with mainland China since the handover have shown HKers the true colours of the CCP -- a thuggish regime, with zero regard to anything other than their hold to power. You can look up the number of HK people who identify as "Chinese" over the years for some hints.