What China should do as Umbrella Revolution folds

CHINA has the Great Hall of the People. Hong Kong has the "Great Hall of the Tycoons". The above-mentioned phrase was uttered by Briton David Webb on Saturday night as he addressed a crowd of demonstrators in Hong Kong. Mr Webb, a shareholder rights activist who's earned the enmity of Hong Kong's powerful oligarchs, cut right to the heart of things in his rousing speech.

"The government claims to believe in free markets and competition, but where is the free market in leadership?" Mr Webb asked, perched atop a ladder. "Don't worry about the small economic impact of these protests," he added. "Think about the large economic benefits of a more dynamic economy, ending collusion between the government and the tycoons who currently elect the chief executive."

If Beijing learns anything from the biggest frontal assault on its authority since the British returned the keys to Hong Kong in 1997, it should be this: Hongkongers want competent leaders, not cronies. As the Umbrella Revolution begins to fold up - at least for now - here are three things President Xi Jinping can do to keep the former British colony from succumbing to an endless cycle of protests and crackdowns.