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Article: What happened in Hong Kong.(Commentary)(Op-Ed)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- May 28, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A year ago in Hong Kong, with the handover to China looming, the air was electric with jittery anticipation as people wondered what the future would hold. The business community was predicting ever-growing prosperity from increased trade with China, while the political opposition was dire in its warnings of an impending Chinese crackdown.
Neither has happened. And no one was on record predicting what did happen this Sunday when Hong Kongers went to the polls - in effect, the first time any part of China has had a democratic election since 1949. Prior to Sunday's vote, widespread apathy had been expected, the result of a Byzantine political system weighted ...