China Blames 'Instigators' in Deadly Siege: "Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control in 1997, but the former British colony maintains a high degree of press freedom. Its proximity to Dongzhou gives local reporters good access to events there."

The Tiananmen Square happened in 1989. If anything, Hong Kong may serve as a catalyst for introducing political freedom into China. China may be promoting Shanghai and other cities over Hong Kong, but Hong Kong still has some of the freedom (that China hasn't yet suppressed) to speak out on things that the other cities don't yet have.