Hong Kong (AFP)

The Hong Kong International Women's Tennis Tournament in turn became a collateral victim of the political crisis on Friday, adding its name to the growing list of sports and cultural events postponed or canceled due to protests.

The organizers of the Hong Kong Open WTA, which was scheduled for early October, announced the indefinite postponement of the tournament by very coyly invoking the "current situation" in the former British colony.

Hong Kong is going through its worst political crisis since being handed back to China in 1997, with almost daily demonstrations and actions, which sometimes degenerated into violent clashes between radicals and law enforcement.

"After in-depth discussions with our key partners, we concluded that the serene course of the tournament would be better ensured at a later date," the Hong Kong Federation (HKTA) said in a statement.

- Well-being in Singapore -

The Hong Kong Open, one of the most prestigious sports events in the city, attracts big names every year. Venus Williams, Angelique Kerber, Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Wozniacki, who won the 2016 edition, have already participated.

The tournament is played on the grounds of Victoria Park, a large park that has been the scene of many massive rallies.

The dispute arose in June from the rejection of a Hong Kong bill aimed at authorizing extraditions to China.

The text was definitively abandoned, but the movement has considerably broadened its demands, notably to demand democratic reforms and to denounce the decline in freedoms in the former British colony and Beijing's growing interference in the internal affairs of the semi-autonomous region. autonomous.

This mobilization began to weigh on the economy of the city, already battered by the trade war between China and the United States, and undermined the reputation of stability of Hong Kong.

More and more artists are canceling or postponing dates. This was the case of South Korean singer Kang Daniel, boy band GOT7 or South African Trevor Noah, one of the most famous comedians and presenters in the United States.

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), a meeting place for professionals in the well-being economy, has moved to Singapore.

- Matilda canceled -

On Thursday, the producers of the musical Matilda, adapted from Roald Dahl's children's novel, announced, one week before the first performances, the cancellation of a month of dates.

The theater where the show was to be played is near the police headquarters, whose surroundings have been the scene of clashes between police and radical protesters.

"Unfortunately, these 14 weeks of instability in Hong Kong have weighed on ticket sales and, more importantly, we can not guarantee the safety and well-being of our international troupe, which consists of a large number of young children, "said James Cundall, general manager of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, which produces the show.

These cancellations are a nightmare for a city whose tourism sector is already sealed by the events.

Hong Kong recorded a 40 percent drop in the number of tourists in the city in August, compared to August 2018, Hong Kong Secretary of Finance Paul Chan recently revealed. The hotel occupancy rate has dropped by half, with cascading impacts on retail and restaurant activity.

The airline Cathay Pacific reported Wednesday a decline of 11.3% year on year passenger traffic in August, a month marked by demonstrations at the airport that resulted in hundreds of cancellations.

After three months of almost daily protest, many protesters are convinced that targeting Hong Kong in the wallet is the only way to bend the pro-Beijing executive.

And, despite the increasingly palpable impact of the challenge on economic activity, the movement, which has no identified leader, retains a strong capacity for mobilization, even if it is not as strong as in June.

In accordance with the Sino-British Declaration of 1984 which had presided over the surrender, Hong Kong enjoys unique freedoms that do not exist in the rest of China.

© 2019 AFP