Steve Vickers

I am personally sympathetic to the great majority of the Hong Kong demonstrators and their motivation, but the hardcore elements and agitators involved are becoming increasingly desperate, their actions are counterproductive to many Hong Kong peoplesgenuine democratic aspirations.

Until very recently, if you wanted to advance your business on the mainland you had to have certain key relationships, but yesterday's super-asset can quickly become today's liability.

This is not surprising; the triads have long had symbiotic links with both the junkets and the entertainment sector.

I suggest we look very carefully and calmly at this case before we afford this incident too much priority or seek to amend the Hong Kong threat profile, the timing of the arrests is obviously of interest: especially in this politically charged week before the LegCo vote.