The Chinese government's insistence that candidates for election to the post of chief executive of Hong Kong first be approved by Beijing makes a mockery of their undertaking to introduce universal suffrage. Democracy involves more than just the right to vote.
The regime in Beijing has been reluctant to use the overwhelming force at their disposal. This is not because they have any intention of making any concessions, but because they would prefer not to provoke further anti-Chinese feeling in the rest of the world. They know, but will not admit, that the Tiananmen massacre of students in 1989 remains a vivid blot on modern Chinese history.
They also have to bear in mind their ambition to incorporate Taiwan. The formula agreed for Hong Kong before the British colony was returned to China in 1997 of "one country, two systems" was intended to apply also to Taiwan. They do not want to destroy this myth completely.