If China pursues atrocities against HK they will be financially strangled by the international community's sanctions, having the mainland population freefall ba

If China pursues atrocities against HK they will be financially strangled by the international community's sanctions, having the mainland population freefall back into poverty is an existential threat. Taiwan is more powerful than anything HK could ever muster and all their actual military might is barely an inconvenience in CCP planning. Hong Kong arming itself is probably a best-case scenario for China.