As street protests in Hong Kong rage on for the 10^th consecutive day, with demonstrators accusing China of choking off democracy in the special administrative region, the odds are beginning to turn in favor of the Chinese president Xi Jinping's silence, The Wall Street Journal says.

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In the absence of statements from China's central leadership, the protracted protests in Hong Kong have been portrayed as a serious challenge for Xi's strong-willed leadership.

The protests have been described as a reflection of China's repressive policies in international media and have more than once endangered Xi's uncompromising reputation in mainland China.

Contrary to what many critics have long argued, there is a potential boon to be had from the uneasy relations between the central government and the former British colony.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Hong Kong protests could help fuel reforms in mainland China, particularly in how the Chinese Communist Party operates. The newspaper said the Hong Kong dilemma draws attention to many of Beijing government's shortcomings, which Xi has long criticized.

Xi has launched aggressive campaigns aimed at rooting out deep-seated corruption in Beijing, which subsequently led to the indictment of many top party officials over the last year. According to Xi, Chinese leaders have neglected the needs of the public in pursuit of economic growth. Sometimes even through illicit ties with business entities, the newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, movements such as those in Hong Kong present a glaring example of how the Chinese public is angered by the leaders' apparent lack of concern.

The president has made the case that without sufficient reforms, the central government will continue to quell social fires as they happen instead of creating measures that will nip them at the bud.

As inconvenient as they may be for President Xi, he could actually be helped by the protests in Hong Kong to make a stronger case for much-needed reforms within the Communist Party, the newspaper observed.

TagsHong Kong, hong kong protests, Crown Prince Party, Politics of Hong Kong