As the dust settles on Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, China is likely to embark on a sweeping but covert campaign across the territory's judiciary, media and universities to ensure there is no recurrence, activists and politicians say.
The surprisingly resilient 75 days of protest for a fully democratic vote to choose Hong Kong's next leader was the most serious challenge to China's authority since the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations and crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
To ward off future protests, activists say Beijing's rulers are unlikely to embark on a harsh response that could pose a risk to stability and prosperity in Hong Kong, a financial hub that is the gateway to the world's second-biggest economy.