The coronavirus has enforced a hiatus in Hong Kong’s widespread political unrest with worries about transmission stalling protests. Dissatisfaction with the government still festers, fuelled by the mishandling of the health crisis – all the ingredients are there for protests to reignite. But the lull in the unrest gives the Hong Kong government and their counterparts in Beijing a window of opportunity. It is imperative that the British government encourages all sides to grasp the next few months as a moment for reconciliation.
President Xi Jinping has been busy using this space to reshuffle the officials overseeing Hong Kong from Beijing’s side by appointing loyalists Xia Baolong and Luo Huining. The new officials must decide whether to seek reconciliation or continue to take the hard-line approach that has caused the situation to spiral out of control.
The signs are not good. On Tuesday, Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai was sentenced to ten years by a mainland Chinese court.
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