Regardless of wether it is Africa, Australia the UK or anywhere else getting into debt with China is going to end badly, its caused by shortsighted often corrupt politicians failing to develop national industries for short term gain or popularity. We are dealing with a Chinese Dictatorship intent on global economic takeover and we are letting it happen, even encouraging it, when we should be developing our own industry and technology. Cheap deals in the short term destroys home enterprise, when you have the ability to produce thats when the price goes up
Student protests only accelerated the speed that China absorbed HK, it was going to happen and no one outside was going to do more than mild protest.