Hong Kong vote highlights rising anti-China mood
Candidate Yau Wai-ching, member of political group Youngspiration, campaigns in Hong Kong yesterday. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kongers yesterday voted in their most crucial election since the handover from Britain in 1997, the outcome of which could pave the way for a fresh round of political confrontations over Beijings control of the territory.
The vote for Legislative Council lawmakers is to test the unity of Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp, as a new generation of activists, who emerged in the wake of the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella movement, joined the race.
They are hoping to ride a rising tide of anti-China sentiment as they challenge formidably resourced pro-Beijing rivals for seats.
Many of the newcomers back the previously unthinkable idea of independence for Hong Kong, which has added to divisions with the broader pro-democracy movement and overshadowed the election.
Hong Kongers feel they have few other negotiating tactics left in their battle for genuine democracy as Beijing takes an increasingly hard-line stance.
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