Hong Kong braces for more friction with Beijing

The landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement in Sunday’s local election could force a reckoning between activists and pro-Beijing forces, including the city’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam.

More than half of the 452 seats in the district council elections flipped from pro-Beijing candidates to pro-democracy groups. All sides agree that the landslide puts China’s ruling Communist Party under even greater pressure to respond to the protest movement.

Impact: The victory handed the pro-democracy movement a boost of confidence, though little official power. The district council advises the government on neighborhood issues.

But the pro-democracy movement will gain a larger say on the committee that chooses the territory’s chief executive in 2022, along with additional financial resources.