Local media in Hong Kong is reporting that Cathay Pacific airline’s CEO, Rupert Hogg, responded to demands from China’s Civil Aviation Administration to hand over a list of Cathay Pacific employees who had participated in the protests with admirable defiance.

According to unconfirmed reports, he responded by putting only his own name on the list provided. If the reports are true it would go some way to explaining his ‘resignation’ yesterday. Beijing has control of a big shareholding in the airline. It might not be as brave as the man in Tienanmen Square who stood alone against the tanks, it was the right response and he must have known it would cost him his job.

UPDATE: We re-emphasise that the veracity of local reports is contested.