This week, a debate in the legislature over a law to govern the next election of the chief executive erupted into a shouting match over a provision that would give Beijing the right to remove Hong Kong's top leader.
Critics contend that while Beijing has honored its pledge not to intervene in local affairs, Hong Kong's own leadership is undermining the territory's freedoms.
"The government is doing all it can to knock down the rule of law, pillar by pillar," said Michael DeGolyer, a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University. "It is throwing Hong Kong increasingly open to intervention."
Others say controversies over Beijing's role are inevitable as Hong Kong navigates its unique course as a citadel of capitalism within a communist-led nation.
"We always knew we'd face this political hurdle," said Christine Loh, a former legislator and frequent critic of Tung. "We're transiting from a colony where political leadership was never cultivated. We're growing up together."
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