Hong Kong protests due to neoliberalism?

In this podcast, Chinese-American academic, Carl Zha, says that the anger in Hong Kong is largely a result of neoliberalism and elite corruption - just like in the west. But western neoliberals, via the media, the NED, etc, are attempting to manipulate the protestors, and us foreign onlookers, so that we all blame China instead. Similarly to how they manipulate many westerners back home into blaming immigrants/Muslims/Russia etc, (for the problems caused by neoliberalism).