And why have the protests turned violent? Have some anarchists come to town to stir up trouble? Doubtful. Or perhaps it was a false flag operation perpetrated by Beijing to justify a crackdown? That's more likely. But the most likely explanation is that a segment of Hong Kong's young people are desperate and are venting their frustration as Red China tightens its grip on the city.
Whatever is behind the protests ‐ and more have been promised ‐ it will not end well for Hong Kong. Yes, Hong Kong might win a skirmish here and there, but in the long run, it loses.
China simply cannot allow Hong Kong to have the degree of independence the former British colony wants. Hong Kong's economic importance to the mainland was once critical, but as China proper has grown, Hong Kong's value has diminished in relative terms. The problem with Hong Kong is not a matter of money for China. Rather it's that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has two imperatives. One is to keep its grip on power, and the other is to hold China together as a unified nation. A relatively independent Hong Kong is an affront to both.
As for holding China together, this is not a given. Peter Zeihan writes, "Chinese history is a tale of warlords and collapse imperial systems that just couldn't make it stick." Zeihan blames this on China's geography.