Hong Kong protests: Premier Li stresses social stability

China’s Premier Li Keqiang says he is sure social stability can be maintained in Hong Kong, as pro-democracy protests in the region entered a third week.

Mr Li made his comments during his trip to Germany, where he and Chancellor Angela Merkel signed trade agreements.

Thousands of protesters, demanding fully democratic elections, have paralysed parts of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong protests: Sharp divisions ahead of talks

By Juliana LiuHong Kong correspondent, BBC News

Hong Kong’s government and student leaders at the forefront of ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations have agreed to sit down for landmark negotiations on Friday, but the two sides appear to be sharply divided.

Two weeks into the mass sit-in, the crowds have dwindled to just hundreds in Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok, prompting questions over whether student activists have lost bargaining power.

Behind a Gate, Hong Kong Chief Tries to Make a Deal With Protesters

Leader Criticized for Being Out of Touch Keeps Out of Sight

HONG KONG—The man who governs Asia’s most important financial center spends most of his time these days holed up in his official residence—a former British governor’s mansion—with stewards catering to him as he tries to negotiate an end to protests that have gripped Hong Kong for 11 days.

The city government, led by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, appeared to be headed for confrontation with protesters as recently as Sunday night, after he publicly demanded that streets be cleared for the workday Monday morning.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/behind-a-gate-hong-kong-chief-tries-to-make-a-deal-1412621422

Hong Kong’s activists know they must act now if democracy is ever to happen

After years of delays and broken promises, China’s proposals to vet election candidates are the final straw.

The Hong Kong people are considered the world’s most polite protesters. We queue, recycle and clean up after ourselves. Our protests have always gone without a hitch. Not any more. A lot of people I’ve spoken to this week are in disbelief.

On Friday night the police arrested and attacked many of the students present with pepper spray after a few tried to climb a fence to reclaim what many consider a public space in front of government headquarters. Then, on Sunday, when adults joined the students in their protest, not only did the pepper spray return but the police unleashed canister after canister of teargas into the densely packed crowd. It was at this point that I noticed many Hong Kong people saying: “This isn’t supposed to happen here. This isn’t the Hong Kong I know.”