There was a period in the early 2000’s where China showed genuine signs it might open up and become somewhat democratic, giving its citizens greater rights and representation. Obviously they decided to revert to their authoritarian ways and brutally crack down on dissent to keep control over the people, but there was a time HK might’ve had a nice future under China.

No fucking way, Hong Kong was lost in 2014 after the yellow umbrella movement was brutally crushed. It was death by a thousand cuts ever since. Trump or no Trump, nothing was going to change that.