Hong Kong: Time for vision and reform in official ranks

AS VIOLENT anti-China protests in Hong Kong continue, the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, which met last week in Beijing for the first time in 20 months, issued a communique in which it pledged to take action to "improve the legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security" in the former British colony.

The good news is that China appears committed to keeping the "one country, two systems" model for Hong Kong.

The bad news is that Beijing seems to want to exercise "full administrative power" over Hong Kong and tighten its supervision of the chief executive and top officials as well as extend patriotic education to government officials. The participation of civil servants in some protests was clearly deeply disturbing to Beijing.