Although "69 percent of Hong Kong people wanted full democracy in 2012, but 2017 stood a better chance of being accepted."
That is the outlook of Hong Kong's ever-evolving democratic process. After local partisan dabates between the pro-democratic and pro-establishment camps, the Standing Committee of China's parliament in Beijing will decide next week the extent of democracy that will be allowed in the Special Adminstrative Region based on a report lobbied by Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang. The report urged China to push for greater democracy.
Yet liberals won't be expecting any surprises. They've already criticized the report for its unsystematic timetable and its hinting at 2017 as a more viable option. Similar to the thoughts of many Hong Kong people, I highly doubt any development before 2017, simply because Hong Kong is ushering ahead too significantly out of pace compared to relative developments within China, but again, any change is welcome. Not that there isn't much cause for protests, but even if July 1st, 2003 were to happen yet again this year, that pragamtic effects of that is bare minimal.
2017 will be the year to watch, if Beijing remains open minded about it in the future.
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