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KT edit: Fears in Hong Kong, but also scope for talks

Carrie Lam, the city's CEO may have climbed down from her position but is still in the hot seat.

Nine weeks of protests in Hong Kong have sapped the life out of a vibrant city. Travel has been hit with the disruption of flights to the territory and its status as a global commercial hub has taken a beating with the closure of shops and businesses. In the prevailing uncertainty, investors and people are unwilling to bet on the city's prospects. Beijing is showing its impatience and has said it will not stay silent for long and allow things to drift out of control. Hong Kong's police claim they are on top of the situation which is clearly not the case as the protests have spread. The Chinese People Liberation Army is ready to move in if things get out of hand. Carrie Lam, the city's CEO may have climbed down from her position but is still in the hot seat and appears to have lost her way on administrative matters.
The protesters want her gone for being a dove on China. They have made their demands clear but the mainland appears in no mood to listen and has other ideas on how to run the territory. China has made it known that its silence should be seen as weakness by the West. It has signalled it will step in at a time of its choosing while levelling the allegation that the demonstrations have been stoked by foreign powers with the UK being the main suspect. The former colonial power who ceded power to Beijing after ruling for 156 years has been targeted by Chinese media. This makes the tense standoff not just an internal matter of China but could also have diplomatic repercussions.
A top official from Beijing, who is based in Hong Kong, told protesters not to "underestimate the firm resolve of the central government". The chilling warning points to where these demonstrations could eventually lead to if China decides to act. A crackdown by the military could be termed as excessive use of force on civilians who have protested peacefully for the most part. The protesters, several of whom have been arrested, see Carrie Lam as the symbolic stooge of a superpower that exerts some control over their affairs. So protests have been followed by threats with both sides have been unwilling to talk their way out of the crisis. It's shocking that channels of communication have not been set up. All might not be lost for the protesters and the administration if they settle for a compromise. Will good sense prevail?