Hong Kong S Transition To Chinese Rule

Examining developments following Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty, this book argues that genuine autonomy from the central government in Beijing is impossible without a democratic system in Hong Kong.

Following the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty, it appears that the 'high degree of autonomy' promised to Hong Kong is limited in many ways. China's reservations about the development of democracy in Hong Kong lies at the heart of the problem. The conceptual inadequacies set out in the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution, show a correlation between a lack of democracy and a loss of autonomy. This book argues that genuine autonomy from the central government in Beijing is impossible without a democratic system in Hong Kong. Developments since the handover have, however, demonstrated that democratic trends have been halted and even reversed and that democracy is not likely to be established in Hong Kong in the near future.

This book presents an overview of critical developments surrounding the handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Well-known commentators from a variety of disciplines examine the issues and events in the years leading up to the transfer of sovereignty, and in the eighteen months that followed. Major dilemmas are addressed in the economic, political, legal, social and diplomatic life of the territory, which remain in many cases unresolved and pressing as Hong Kong enters the new century.

A balanced analysis of a sensitive subject: Hong Kong's future prospects.

The dramatic handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997, amid much tension and speculation, closes one significant colonial chapter in Asia. At the same time, it also sets the stage for new political and economic possibilities with China closely involved with a key financial center in Asia. Hong Kong in China comprises a collection of papers evaluating the situation in Hong Kong SAR over the last two years. The handing over of Hong Kong to China presents a challenge to the legal system which is intrinsically and delicately linked to the political vision of one country, two systems. While politicians and legalists seek to work out the model, the people of Hong Kong confront the dilemma of an identity crisis, on top of the contentious social problems presented by the immigration of Chinese mainlanders.

The future of the Common Law judicial system in Hong Kong depends on the perceptions of it by Hong Kong's Chinese population, judicial developments prior to July 1, 1997, when Hong Kong passes from British to Chinese control, and the Basic Law. These critical issues are addressed in this book.

A timely study of Hong Kong's politics and society since the 1997 handover that explores the city's long history of resistance.

This book offers a perspective on the constitutional and administrative experiment that has been taking place in Hong Kong, based on a substantial period under Chinese rule.