The re-emergence of student demonstrations on the streets of Hong Kong testifies to the continuing tension over the territory’s political arrangements.

Until a few days ago, the authorities in Beijing might have consoled themselves with the thought that the unrest was subsiding. But such illusions will have been dispelled by Sunday night’s running clashes, which saw student activists blocking streets and trying to storm government buildings. The situation in Hong Kong remains febrile with plenty at stake for the territory’s people and the Chinese government.

At the heart of the stand-off is a dispute over China’s plans for the future political system of Hong Kong, which was handed over by the British in 1997. In August, Beijing agreed to introduce universal suffrage, one person one vote, for the 2017 election of chief executive – the top political job in the territory. However, the plan includes restrictions that effectively bar critics of the Chinese regime from running.