And... HK is the freest place on Earth!

http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/human-freedom-index-files/human-freedom-index-2015.pdf

Given the link between freedom and democracy, Hong Kong’s top ranking in our index may be somewhat unexpected. The territory, first administered by the United Kingdom as a colony and since 1997 ruled by mainland China under its “one country, two systems” model, has never experienced democracy. Hong Kong’s maintenance of a high degree of freedom for a long period of time indeed makes it an outlier in our survey. The pro-democracy protests that erupted in Hong Kong in 2014 may in part be a late manifestation of a pattern we’ve seen in other nondemocracies that liberalized their economies and subsequently liberalized their political systems as wealth and demands for political freedoms rose. Even so, Hong Kong is unique in that it long enjoyed high levels not only of economic freedom but also of personal liberty and income without transitioning to democracy. The territory’s close adherence to the policies and institutions it inherited from the British, including the rule of law, no doubt explain the stability its system has until recently displayed. Clearly, the pro-democracy protests represent a political agenda not acceptable to Beijing, and are a reaction to interference and perceived interference by mainland China in Hong Kong’s policies and institutions including infringements on freedom of the press and the independence of the legal system. Our index is based on data that goes no later than 2012, so does not yet capture the most recent developments, but it registers some deterioration in those areas. As the political future of Hong Kong plays out, we would not be surprised if we see a decline in its freedom ratings. - page 23.