Listen to “Inside the Hong Kong Protests” on Spreaker.
On Wednesday, the China-backed leader of Hong Kong announced she is withdrawing the legislation that sparked massive ongoing protests, but a leading Asia expert says that will do nothing to quell other demands of the millions of people taking to the streets.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced she is officially withdrawing legislation that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China. Had she done that in April, it may have been enough to satisfy critics, but months of intransigence and increased police crackdowns on protesters soured relations exponentially.
Demonstrators now want a full investigation into the actions of police. They want all incarcerated protesters released and they want to have universal suffrage to elect their own chief executive and lawmakers.
Asia policy expert Gordon Chang is author of “The Coming Collapse of China.” He is in Hong Kong and took to the streets with demonstrators after Lam’s announcement.
Listen to the podcast to hear how Hong Kong residents reacted to the withdrawal of the extradition legislation and how they view this battle for their freedom. Chang also explains why China may have relented on the extradition issue now and why the ongoing protests present a more difficult challenge for Beijing than many realize. He also reveals why the protesters are not going anywhere anytime soon.
