I'm currently at Hong Kong airport where we're witnessing
unprecedented scenes with all flights on Monday cancelled
for the rest of the day because of protests unfolding behind
me.
Thousands of people from Hong Kong have come to the airport
to voice their discontent at the government and police, who they
say took extraordinarily violent measures last night
against protesters in the city.
Earlier today there was absolute pandemonium
at the airport with thousands of people filling the arrival
halls, the airport's express, and buses to the airport.
And we even saw people walking from Hong Kong
out to the airport because there was no other form
of transportation.
And yet they still wanted to join the crowds.
Last week Hong Kong had its first general strike in more
than half a century where hundreds of flights in and out
of Hong Kong were delayed or cancelled.
Economists I spoke to said that if it
were just a one-off, and that was the first and only time
that Hong Kong's airport was disrupted due to the protests,
that would be one thing.
But it would be another thing if we
saw the airport shut down again because of the protest
movement.
And that's exactly what we've seen today
with Hong Kong airport shut down for the second time in one
week.
So over the past few weeks we've seen China ratcheting up
its signals and indicating its extreme discontent
with what is currently going on in Hong Kong right now.
Beijing currently faces a dilemma
Because on the one hand, it is outraged and horrified
at the growing violence and discontent in Hong Kong.
But on the other hand, it is hesitant to intervene
because of what it would mean for the international hub.
Hong Kong is considered a gateway into China
and is seen by international businesses
as having a relatively stable economy and robust rule of law.
And anything that Beijing were to do
to undermine that and the perception of that,
could really hit Hong Kong's economy.