China knows the world is watching, and this is not a good time to have at repeat of Tienanmen Square. There is nothing they'd love more than to violently crush the rebellion, but they are in a bit of a pickle.
To think that only a few years ago this was a uninquely quintisessentially a British colony with long established values and culture, I think if we dont get Brexit the UK is likely to end up in the same mess.