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Sonny Lo
Sonny Lo Shiu-Hing is a veteran political commentator and observer of the politics of Hong Kong and Macau. He has published many books on the two cities' governance, democratisation and crime control, among other topics.
Taiwan’s ruling party has only itself to blame for voters’ revolt. However, the KMT’s strong showing does not make it a shoo-in for the presidential election, and Beijing should see the importance of respecting voters’ wishes.
The effective steps taken by the authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and on the mainland to prepare for the superstorm, including inter-governmental efforts, helped avert a repeat of last summer’s Typhoon Hato tragedy.
Taiwan’s drop in global competitiveness rankings should inspire the island nation to adopt innovative policy measures and cease political bickering.
The two Chinese SARs should see the benefit of supporting the central government’s push to develop Hainan into a free-trade port and a thriving centre for tourism and leisure, which is likely to include gaming.
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Beijing’s latest sweeteners encouraging more Taiwanese to do business on the mainland show it is already thinking past the current pro-independence government in Taipei and expecting a more conciliatory one in the near future.
An assertive civil society in Hong Kong is hamstrung by the lack of mediators between opposing camps. Can the new NPC deputies help to alter the zero-sum nature of Hong Kong politics?
With the central government pushing for national security legislation in Hong Kong, pan-democrats could use a few bargaining chips to spur democratic development.
China under Xi Jinping has adopted a so-called "heartland" geopolitical strategy not only to counter outsiders' perception of a "China threat" but also to project an image of a peaceful, self-confident and assertive nation.
The stalemate between the Occupy movement and the Hong Kong and Beijing governments does not bode well. To break the impasse, all sides will need to act.
The failure of protest leaders and the government to begin talks means continuous confrontation. A police crackdown may well be inevitable.
The arrest of students who stormed Civic Square on Friday and the police's use of tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters near government headquarters in Admiralty on Sunday night brought matters to a head.
The emotional polarisation between the pan-democratic and pro-Beijing camps over Beijing's decision on political reform for Hong Kong totally ignores the political space available for democrats.
