Agnes Chong writes an article in openDemocracy.net giving her views of the December 4th march and electoral reform process.
Amongst her comments, she notes that:
In Beijing, the Hong Kong demonstration received the usual “media blackout” treatment. This is as much a reflection of the Chinese government’s kneejerk paranoia, as the march ostensibly has no bearing on the ordinary Chinese person’s life today. It would seem a long stretch to regard the Hong Kong demonstration as a precursor to any kind of social unrest in the mainland.
True enough, there was certainly no media coverage at all here in Beijing regarding movements in Hong Kong. But to think that a mention of protests in China would directly lead to unrest in China is somewhat misleading. Indeed, protests are already occuring in China: 20 are alleged to have been killed in Guangdong (廣東) last week in village protests. As China continues to prosper and education improves, such continued unrest is inevitable.
If anything is to be learned from Hong Kong, it is that peaceful protest and freedom of speech are not detrimental to social and economic development. China should learn from this, not shun it.