Since Hong Kong’s return from British rule more than 20 years ago, residents have fretted over the risk of becoming “just another Chinese city.” This week, there’s evidence some nations already see it that way.
From Australia’s decision to block CK Group from buying a local pipeline operator to United Nations criticism of the city’s free speech record, Hong Kong has found itself battling perceptions that the line separating it from the mainland has blurred. Until recently, the city’s business and political communities were treated as relatively insulated from Beijing’s influence.
