With Hong Kong Protests, China Confronts Fateful Choice

With Hong Kong Protests, China Confronts Fateful Choice
Tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators fill the streets in the main financial district of Hong Kong, Oct. 1, 2014 (AP photo by Wally Santana).

The unexpected outbreak of massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong has presented authorities in Beijing with a pivotal challenge. China’s ambitious and very powerful president, Xi Jinping, faces a host of options, each loaded with heavy risks.

The choices present three possible paths. Beijing can compromise; it can crack down; or it can watch and wait, hoping the protests will die down.

Whatever path Xi chooses—and make no mistake, it is the Chinese president who will personally decide on a response to the Hong Kong challenge—this is a major test. If Xi chooses the wrong path, the consequences will be severe.

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