Beijing academic calms fears of punishment for Hong Kong pan-democrats if reform package voted down

A leading mainland expert on the city's affairs dismissed concerns that Beijing would punish Hong Kong, or the pan-democrats, if the 2017 chief executive electoral reform was voted down.

Professor Rao Geping , a member of the Basic Law Committee and a law scholar at Peking University, also believed the central government would not make any late concession on the stringent framework it laid down last year because the nominating committee was designated to "screen out" candidates who might confront Beijing.

During a dialogue with lawmakers in Shenzhen last week, top mainland officials overseeing Hong Kong affairs warned that the pan-democrats would face dire consequences should they vote down the reform blueprint when it is put to a vote in the Legislative Council later this month.

The officials also said the lawmakers' voting decision on the reform would show their loyalty to "one country, two systems".

However, speaking at a forum in Hong Kong yesterday, Rao said: "How would the central government find Hong Kong as a whole is confronting her just because of several lawmakers blocking the reform? [It] will not."