What's Xi's Response to Hong Kong?

What instructions will Xi Jinping give to Carrie Lam this time around?

All eyes are on Beijing these few days as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor arrived in the Chinese capital for her regular duty visit to report back to the senior leadership.

Carrie Lam arriving in Beijing today for meetings

This evening she had dinner with Vice-Premier Han Zheng, the state leader overseeing Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Zhang Xiaoming, head of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office was to attend the dinner too. Any guesses on what was discussed?

She will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Monday, and again what will she say, and how will they advise her on how to proceed?

According to a report by Reuters, back in August Lam tried to persuade senior leaders to meet some of the protesters' demands to diffuse the political crisis, but it seems that suggestion was not accepted. Further reports on the story were deemed "fake" by a state-run newspaper.

Excited voters on hearing results of the District Elections

And now following the results of the District Council elections, where 17 of the 18 districts were swept by pro-democracy candidates, what will Beijing do now, not only to win the hearts and minds of voters, but also to rebuild relationships with pro-Beijing politicians?

This is certainly territory China has never gone through before, but at the same time it cannot ignore the results. It was a clear referendum on the government's handling of the protests and by extension Beijing.

So now the ball is in Xi's court. How will he play it?

Will he continue his hard line stance or will Xi finally concede and allow an independent inquiry into the police force's handling of the six-month long protests?

Hong Kong has turned very yellow since November 24

And will Lam be CE for much longer? There is talk of not only removing her, but also shuffling the cabinet which definitely needs a shake up. These government officials are living in a parallel universe with no empathy or understanding of what is going on in Hong Kong for the past half year.

The people have spoken. A response is long overdue.

Carrie Refutes Resignation

Today Carrie Lam denies that she even wanted to resign

This morning in her weekly briefing with the media, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor categorically denied she or her staff had leaked the recording of her to Reuters. She was angry her remarks were recorded in a closed-door session when she thought Chatham House rules apply.

Who can resist not recording her speech when she says if given the choice she would resign?

However this morning she was defiant and said, "I have never tendered a resignation to the central people's government. I have not even contemplated to discuss a resignation with the central people's government," she said. "The choice of not resigning is my own choice."

Police brutality gets more violent as each week passes

While resigning would be an easier way out, Lam says she didn't choose that option, or rather she didn't give herself that option.

"But I told myself repeatedly in the last three months that I and my team should stay on to help Hong Kong in a very difficult situation, and to serve the people of Hong Kong," she said. "I have not given myself the choice to take an easier path and that is to leave. I'd rather stay on and walk this path together with my team and with the people of Hong Kong."

But Carrie, what makes you think people want you to walk on the same path as them?

As you said so yourself, you have created this "unforgivable havoc" on the city and yet you have done nothing to try and fix it. Instead whenever you speak, you further infuriate people to come out to protest.

Meanwhile you hide behind the police who are doing the dirty work for you, beating people up, arresting them for no specific charges and you quietly condone the police's violent actions towards protesters, from those as young as 12 years old to seniors.

The police are eroding rule of law in Hong Kong

So far to date, over 1,000 people have been arrested. The more people who are convicted and thrown into jail, the more they will become radicalized while serving prison sentences of up to 10 years for rioting.

Is this the mess the Hong Kong and Chinese governments want to deal with five to 10 years from now? 

Leaks on Carrie Lam's Frustrations

A recording reveals Lam's inability to resolve the crisis in Hong Kong

Another explosive report by Reuters reveals a taped recording of one of Chief Executive Carrie Lam's recent meetings with business people where she admits she is between a rock and a hard place.

In a speech in English, Lam says she made a serious mistake in putting forward the extradition bill, but now the crisis has become a national security and sovereignty issue, and so it is beyond her ability to control the situation.

She says, "... the room, the political room for the chief executive who, unfortunately, has to serve two masters by constitution, that is the central people's government and the people of Hong Kong, that political room for maneuvering is very, very, very limited". 

She claims the PLA will not come into Hong Kong

Wait a second -- when has she served the people of Hong Kong? She can also show some integrity and quit even if Beijing does not accept her resignation, but no she is still very much at Government House.

Interestingly she lets the business sector know in a closed-door meeting that while the National Day celebrations are less than a month away, there is "absolutely no plan" to deploy the People's Liberation Army on Hong Kong streets, as Beijing knows this is bad optics.

While we might be able to breathe a sigh of relief on this one -- might is the operative word -- Lam says Beijing is willing to play the long game in quelling the protests, even if it meant a drop in tourism, loses in capital outflows and IPO cancellations.

In other words this probably means even more arrests and prosecutions, not to mention more violent altercations with the police.

She also told her audience of her frustration at not being able "to reduce the pressure on my frontline police officers" or to provide a political solution to "pacify the large number of peaceful protesters who are so angry with the government, with me in particular".

Thousands of students protest at Chinese University campus

Her inability "to offer a political situation in order to relieve the tension," she said, was the source of her "biggest sadness".
 "For a chief executive to have caused this huge havoc is unforgivable," Lam said.

In her speech she added how this crisis has impacted her personally. "Nowadays it is extremely difficult for me to go out. I have not been on the streets, not in the shopping malls, can't go to a hair salon. I can't do anything because my whereabouts will be spread around social media."

If she were to appear in public, she said, "you could expect a big crowd of black T-shirts and black-masked young people waiting for me."

Has she even tried? The claim that she can't go to a salon these days doesn't have any sympathy from anyone.

And as if it wasn't obvious by now, Lam is now the least popular of all the chief executives since 1997. Veteran pollster Robert Chung of the Public Opinion Research Institute says her success in pushing through several controversial proposals bolstered her belief in believing she could ram through the extradition bill.

"All these things made her feel so confident, and when we had the first demonstration, she still thought, 'Don't worry, I'll get through in two days and things will be over,'" Chung said. "But she was totally wrong."

Dr Sun Yat-sen prepared for battle!

Lam again reiterated to her audience of business people that the extradition bill was of her doing, and that it was not instructed or coerced by the central government.

She admits it would be naive to paint a rosy picture for the near future, and said the government originally projected arresting 1,000 to 2,000 people.

"Hong Kong is not dead yet. Maybe she is very, very sick, but she is not dead yet," she said.

And who's fault is that?

She will have more to answer to tomorrow in her regular weekly news conference.

Earlier today several university campuses and secondary schools held protests on the first day of school.

It was very thoughtful of the students to prepare the father of the revolution, Dr Sun Yat-sen with a helmet, gas mask and gloves...

The Chinese Riddle

Rupert Murdoch with Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People

The Chinese like to talk in riddles, particularly their leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping received Rupert Murdoch in the Great Hall of the People today. The News Corp chairman probably wanted to pay his respects in the hopes that he might get a sign that the ban would be lifted on his Wall Street Journal website.

Wen Jiabao's family's wealth was unraveled by the NYT

According to Xinhua Xi said: "[We] welcome foreign media and correspondents to cover China stories, introducing China's development to the world, and helping the world grasp the opportunities (afforded by) China's development."

What did Murdoch say in return?

He apparently said to China Daily: "We are very happy, in my newspapers and different news outlets, to try and foster more understanding between our two countries (the United States and China), I think not just on a formal basis, but also with people themselves."

What Xi and Murdoch said need to be taken with huge grains of salt because Chinese state media aren't the most accurate when reporting what people, particularly foreigners say. Their words can be massaged to fit the agenda, and here it's to give the impression that China is open for reporting.

Wendi Deng on the day her divorce was finalized in New York

But what of blocking not only WSJ, but also The New York Times, Reuters and Bloomberg sites?

And not issuing journalist visas to both The New York Times and Bloomberg apparently in retaliation for them publishing stories about senior leaders' families and their web of wealth?

Meanwhile it's interesting Murdoch is making this pilgrimage after his 14-year divorce from Wendi Deng, who wasn't able to help him crack the China market... or perhaps she had other things in mind?

In any case it's no illusion that Murdoch is keen for global media domination and China is the biggest market he has yet to conquer. Apparently 21st Century Fox is looking for a Chinese partner to build theme parks around popular films and TV shows like The Simpsons.

Will we see a Simpsons' themed park in China soon?

Will China let him in?

Does Xi's statement above give any indication?