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Demanding Democracy in Hong Kong

"This is a key moment for the students. The chief executive is certainly not going to leave and the crowds are now smaller than they have been; it is reasonable to assume that those who remain are more radical, are willing to go a little bit further," says Robert Daly.

Protestors have demanded that Hong Kong’s leader step down by noon Thursday, but will this be enough to force resignation of the current leadership? Robert Daly discusses the topic with The Daily Rundown.

"This is a key moment for the students. The chief executive is certainly not going to leave and the crowds are now smaller than they have been; it is reasonable to assume that those who remain are more radical, are willing to go a little bit further. So if the students move toward occupying buildings, two things could happen. One is the police could use some more coercive measure, as you mentioned. Two is they run the risk of losing the support of more of the people of Hong Kong. Now this could break either way. People in Hong Kong could be angered by police violence, but they could also be put off by a more radical student movement that was willing to push the government too far, too fast. This is a key day in the protests."

He also comments, "I think, one thing that's interesting about the 'waiting out' strategy is that we haven't seen real leadership from Hong Kong. We've seen declarations that this is illegal activity and that the protestors should disperse, and you've seen a hunkering down, but no real effort to get ahead of this, to lead public opinion, to explain why it's in Hong Kong's interests to proceed with the elections in the way that Beijing has mandated. So 'waiting out'? Yes, but also I think a vacuum of leadership in Hong Kong itself."

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Robert Daly image

Robert Daly

Director, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States

Robert Daly, the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, has compiled an unusually diverse portfolio of high-level work: He has served as a US diplomat in Beijing; as an interpreter for Chinese and US leaders, including President Carter and Secretary of State Kissinger; as head of China programs at Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, and the University of Maryland; and as a producer of Chinese-language versions of Sesame Street. Recognized East and West as a leading authority on Sino-US relations, he has testified before Congress, lectured widely in both countries, and regularly offers analysis for top media outlets.

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