How Long Will China Tolerate Hong Kong Unrest?

The direction of Hong Kong's protests will now probably be determined by two factors: Beijing's patience and the protesters' continued cohesion.

It's important to remember that neither side is looking for trouble. The protest leaders have made that clear throughout with consistent and repeated reminders to their numbers to keep it peaceful.

And despite the miscalculated use of tear gas last weekend, the Hong Kong authorities (and by extension the central government in Beijing) don't want violence on Hong Kong's streets.

But against that, is the length of time that Beijing is willing to allow this 'disobedience' to continue. Other than offering talks, it's almost inconceivable that Beijing would yield to any of the protesters' demands.

So, will the protesters sit it out? And if they do, what happens then?

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Gallery: Hong Kong Protest Deadline Passes

Protesters had warned they would occupy government buildings if Hong Kong's leader did not step down by 5pm BST on Thursday
Thousands had gathered outside his office to hear his last-minute news conference
CY Leung avoided potential clashes by offering talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters - but he refused to quit
Joshua Wong, leader of the student pro-democracy group scholarism, speaks to the crowds after the chief executive's speech
Demonstrators are angry over plans that will see them having to choose their leader from among approved Communist candidates. Continue on for more pictures
A protester holds an umbrella to protect the police from rain during a confrontation outside the legislative government complex
A pro-democracy demonstrator holds a placard
As the sun comes up, a protester reads a book at a sit-in blocking the entrance to the Chief Executive's office
Protesters sleep next to a barricade blocking the entrance to the office
Pro-democracy demonstrators recycle plastic bottles at a collection point in Hong Kong
A man jogs past plastic bottles collected by demonstrators
People look at messages of support displayed on a wall outside the government headquarters
Hong Kong police stand guard as protesters confront them outside the legislative government complex
Student protesters sleep as the stand-off continues
A man stands near umbrellas, which have become the symbol of this protest

Here are a few factors to consider as the protests continue:

:: Leadership and unity

Although dedicated and motivated, the protest movement has no single leader, which could become a problem.

The movement is made up of three groups, all of whom have their own leadership: Occupy Central (a broad pro-democracy movement lead by Benny Tai), Scholarism (representing high school students led by Joshua Wong) and Hong Kong Federation of Students (representing university students led by Alex Chao Yong-kang).

As the stalemate continues, different groups could call for different tactics. The lack of a singular leadership spanning all the groups increases the prospect of a split.

:: Beijing's patience

The Chinese government does not want trouble; it would no longer be able to get away with a crackdown of the like seen in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Video: Hong Kong Leader Refuses To Resign

China is a global player these days and despite significant human rights abuses, it is (surely) not about to slaughter unarmed protesters in Hong Kong.

But weighed against that, China cannot tolerate open-ended unrest.

It undermines the Communist leadership, shows weakness and could give the ideas to elements of the mainland population.

For now, a concerted programme of censorship is keeping the Chinese population in the dark about what's really happening in Hong Kong.

But for how long can that succeed? And for how long will Beijing put up with the protests?

Remember, no form of protest is tolerated over the border on the mainland.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will sit it out for a while, but if the protesters stay united and stand firm, a crunch point will come: tear gas, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets?

Video: Protest Talks Buy Time In Hong Kong

:: The financial sector

Hong Kong is a key financial hub. With the exception of a blip in the stock market, when it opened up at a two-month low last Monday, the impact of the protests on the business community has been minimal.

Despite Chinese state media claims that the city is in turmoil with markets crashing, business life has continued largely as normal.

However, most of this past week has been a holiday period.

A key test of the patience and tolerance of the business community, who hold huge influence over the politics of the city, will come on Monday when businesses re-open again.