That is a shorter question than I expected.
I think Beijing is really, really concerned about losing a generation. From what I read immediately after Occupy Central, they're really, really afraid of losing Mr. Law, the chair of the student union, who I think testified here. I don't know why they have been, in their terms, “quite lenient” in trying not to criticize them. They blame it on economic development instead. They're really concerned and one of the motivations of Beijing is, how do they win back the confidence of this generation, because if they alienate me—I'm in my fifties already—how long do I have to live? It really doesn't matter. They can put up with me for 20 years, and I'll be dead. But the youth will live longer and losing a generation is really a big deal for them. This is why they have been in their terms “quite lenient” in their mind toward Occupy Central.