Now it's a completely new ball game. Beijing, even discreetly, will insist on a purge of anyone in the civil service who would be identified as anti-China. If Lam just continues to insist on her beloved "dialogue," she may be replaced by a hands-on CEO such as CY Leung or Regina Ip.
Amid so much gloom, there may be a silver lining. And that concerns the Greater Bay Area project. My interlocutors tend to believe that after the storm ends and after carefully studying the situation for some months, Beijing will soon come up with a new plan to tighten Hong Kong's integration to the mainland's economy even more.
The first step was to tell Hong Kong's tycoons to get their act together and be more socially responsible. The second will be to convince Hong Kong's businesses to reinvent themselves for good and profit as part of the Greater Bay Area and the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative.
Hong Kong will thrive only if plugged, not unplugged. That may be the ultimate profitable argument against any form of foreign sabotage.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).