Hong Kong Votes, Beijing Glowers

Johnny Lam, a 76-year-old Hong Kong resident, defied China’s leadership in Beijing by casting a vote on June 22. Lam is one of hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents who have taken part in an unofficial referendum on how to choose the territory’s next leader. China asserts it has the right to vet the candidates for Hong Kong’s chief executive and has denounced the poll, which was organized by Occupy Central with Love and Peace, a group of pro-democracy activists. The ire of the People’s Republic doesn’t faze Lam. “We must fight to voice our opinions,” says the retiree. “China promised us autonomy when it took over Hong Kong, but we are feeling fooled.”

The nonbinding vote, which is taking place over 10 days, is evidence of a widening political rift between the Chinese mainland and the administrative territory—one that is having spillover effects on Hong Kong businesses. The city’s 7 million-plus residents, many of whom have seen their living standards stagnate as housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years, are becoming resentful of the tens of millions of mainlanders who cross the border each year hauling empty suitcases waiting to be filled with goodies that are harder to come by (or more expensive) at home.