Yet Beijing has won no clear victory. Its chosen politician still heads the Hong Kong administration and an extradition bill will probably return in some form later this year. But it has further antagonized the Hong Kong populace and eroded its desire to self-identify as mainland citizens. The episode has also made clear there’s a wide gap between the ruling party and its public, just as the world has been noting the thirtieth anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre. It has also reinforced the desire of many Taiwanese to avoid coming under Chinese control through some form of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy that applies to Hong Kong—which long has been Beijing’s goal.

What comes next remains unclear. Hong Kong society is sharply divided, and its young people are disenchanted. But most likely, after a pause, Beijing will resume its squeeze on their political and civic freedoms.

Robert Keatley is a former editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal and the South China Morning Post, both of Hong Kong.

Image: Reuters