Carrying The Torch; Beijing is turning to Hong Kong's tycoons for help.

Byline: Alexandra A. Seno

Beijing must be wondering who its friends are in Hong Kong. Chinese officials no doubt expected the protests that greeted its decision last week not to allow direct elections for the post of Hong Kong chief executive in 2007. But even the normally pro-mainland Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) maintained a studious--and quite remarkable--silence on the matter.

Far more vocal was a parade of the city's normally media-shy tycoons, who exhorted the public to accept the mainland's decision. Several warned that Beijing had grown tired of Hong Kongers' political demands--and advised against "rocking the boat." Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho went further, issuing a statement saying, "Introducing universal suffrage might not necessarily succeed and this has been proven in Taiwan." Says Ma Ngok, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: "The business sector now appears even more conservative than the conservative political party in Hong Kong."

With elections for the legislature in September, the DAB has its hands tied. The party suffered heavy losses in last fall's District Council elections, following major protests in July over a Beijing-backed national-security law. The mainland's strong-arm tactics aren't helping its electoral chances. In fact, in an attempt to win over middle-of-the-road voters, the DAB ...