Despite the promise in the Basic Law–-Hong Kong post-1997 constitution--that the ultimate aim is universal suffrage, Hong Kong has made hardly any progress towards a more democratic system. Indeed, all signs point to Beijing's unwillingness to consider substantive reform until 2017. Will the people of Hong Kong accept this? Will the lack of democracy hold Hong Kong back economically? What problems will the HKSAR Government face in the coming years? Could the Hong Kong people take to the streets again in very large numbers like they did on 1 July 2003? And how may Beijing deal with the continuing demands from Hong Kong for a faster pace of reform?
Moderator: Tom Gold, Associate Professor, Sociology, UCB