I refer to John Yau's letter, “Democracy in Hong Kong is only possible when Beijing’s trust is won” (November 13). There are too many naive Hongkongers like your correspondent who believe that Hong Kong will be awarded full democracy and freedoms after wholeheartedly supporting Beijing.

Let’s put ourselves in the Communist Party’s shoes. But before that, we may refer to the current situation in the mainland. In March, the National People’s Congress passed amendments to the national constitution that removes the term limit for the president and essentially confirms one-party dictatorship, with no democratic rights given to Chinese citizens. It is a signal that the party has no interest in political reform.

We may conduct a thought experiment for the party. Let’s say that one day, all Hongkongers vote for their chief executive and all Legislative Council members, breaking the myth that democracy destabilises a society. The citizens of mainland China then realise that the people should have their say in government and demand democracy. The voices of the citizens gain momentum and Beijing is eventually forced to grant full political rights to its people – a promise dishonoured for almost seven decades, since the fall of the Kuomintang. But, is the Communist Party willing to start the democratisation process and thereby risk a loss of power?