How could Hong Kong possibly become an independent city state like Singapore?
As far as I understand, Singapore declared independence because of racial tensions between Chinese and Malays and Kuala Lumpur's fears of Singapore's economic and speculated future political dominance within the Federation.
Could the British foster a separate identity for Hong Kong, perhaps with earlier democratic reform? Are the pro-Beijing sentiments of the business elite inevitable? Would China have to be in a worse state than IOTL, possibly thanks to a more chaotic Cultural Revolution, perhaps with a consolidation of the Gang of Four's power?