San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is navigating a tough balancing act between maintaining good relations with China and keeping voters who support the pro-Democracy forces in China happy.
Right now he’s in danger of falling off the tight rope.
NBC Bay Area reports supporters of the protestors in Hong Kong became unhappy when Lee helped to raise the Chinese flag over City Hall with Nansheng Yuan, China’s consul general. It was part of ceremonies commemorating China’s national day.
As mayor of a liberal and diverse city, it can be tough to keep your various constituencies from clashing with each other. Even Chinese Americans who are normally supportive of strong relations with China have equally strong feelings for the pro-democracy movement.
“Voices have to be heard and negotiations have to be handled in a delicate way,” said Lee who has declined to take a stance on the demonstrators.
