Sure, that confidence boost from Beijing was more or less a help. But the question is, was that a critical determinant? The fact remains that HK did all the fighting by herself, and still has more than enough ammunition left. They even made a profit out of it, and it's exactly why investors are wary of a government intervention; the government can just make easy profits by manipulating the stock market.
It's a moral hazard.
I've said on numerous times (
@KungFuLee as well), that Soros was betting that the HK government will not intervene in the stock market. You think that's a naive thinking because you don't understand how it works. It damages a financial center's reputation, and not even the US Fed buys stocks in the market to boost prices in 2008GFC.
It's a moral hazard.
You think it's no big deal to intervene because you're in China where the government simply intervenes in Shanghai markets to prop prices. The market bends towards the government's political will in China, and foreigners are wary of that. You can't use your understanding of the financial markets in mainland China and apply it elsewhere.
If I'm unreasonable I wouldn't have spend my time digging out sources and explaining to you how it works. Yet you ignored my points and came out with non-technical 江湖 theories.
And frankly, if you're some other nationality I wouldn't be so nice to even bother explaining to you guys and bridge the gap of understanding. I would lurk around and just laugh it off.