China has reinforced its authority over Hong Kong with the choice of Beijing-backed civil servant Carrie Lam as the new Chief Executive who plays a pivotal role in the affairs of the protectorate. The Umbrella Movement of 2014, the spirited people’s upheaval for independence from China’s overbearing tutelage, has been reduced to irrelevance. It is Hong Kong’s misfortune that exactly 20 years after Britain gave up its control, it is still floundering in its quest for freedom in terms of governance. The new leader lacks the support of the people. Small wonder that Ms Lam’s appointment has been greeted with charges of China’s interference and not least in the region’s financial hub. The 1200-member “election committee” is stacked with Beijing loyalists and is, therefore, anything but an independent entity. The choice of a loyalist Chief Executive reaffirms the deference to the Beijing establishment. True independence still eludes Hong Kong; its population of 7.3 million does not have a say in deciding their leader. This is the quirk of geopolitics that has for the past two decades been manifest to suit the strategy of the mainland’s inherently expansionist design. The formula of “one country, two systems” remains a signal of intent that was emitted by China in 1997 as does the promise of universal suffrage. In the event, Hong Kong boasts neither which is perhaps the worst of both worlds. And judging by ground realities, it is doubtful if the new Chief Executive will have a free hand to execute her agenda ~ “Hong Kong, our home, is suffering from quite a serious divisiveness. My priority will be to heal the divide and to ease the frustration. Hong Kong needs new thinking.” On the surface, her victory speech has not played to the Beijing gallery. In terms of diagnosis, she has hit the bull’s eye; but as she sets about to implement her plan of action, it is open to question whether she will be able to fulfill the promise to “defend the rule of law and freedom of expression”. Ms Lam will, above all, have to countenance the prodemocracy activists who have ratcheted up the pressure since last Sunday, when the result of the election was announced.

Indeed, the scale of Ms Lam’s victory beggars belief ~ she has won 777 votes, against 365 scored by her closest rival, John Tsang. The activists have denounced what they call Beijing’s “interference” amidst reports of lobbying of voters to back Ms Lam, instead of Mr Tsang. In a word, Hong Kong’s dilemma persists ~ to balance the agenda of China’s Communist Party leaders with the wishes of the people, indeed to preserve the global financial hub’s liberal values and the rule of law.