WE REALLY NEED TO STEAL A MARCH AND GET THEM TO CHOOSE AMERICA:

 Chinese President Xi Jinping is so nervous about the position of the Communist Party that he is risking a new Cold War and imperiling Hong Kong's position as Asia's preeminent financial hub, the last British governor of the territory told Reuters.

Chris Patten said Xi's "thuggish" crackdown in Hong Kong could trigger an outflow of capital and people from the city which funnels the bulk of foreign direct investment into mainland China.

"What does it mean? It means serious question marks not just about Hong Kong's future as a free society but also about Hong Kong's ability to continue as probably the premier international financial hub in Asia," Patten said in an interview.

"A lot of people will try to leave Hong Kong," Patten said, adding that he feared capital would also flow out of the territory which Britain handed back to China in 1997.

Tweet   @brothersjudd