The New Politics Of Beijing Hong Kong Relations

In 1997 the British state relinquished control of Hong Kong. From that point an established prosperous community was faced with reordering its sense of itself and its links with the wider world around the authority of Beijing. This book traces the political relationship between Hong Kong and China, and sketches a number of possible future scenarios ranging from successful mutual understanding, through to breakdown and the imposition of rule from Beijing. Having lived and worked in East Asia, Peter Preston brings a sympathetic outsider’s eye to the problems of Hong Kong and Beijing relations. He pursues four main issues: the manner of embedding a new political settlement, the business of governing the territory, the issue of democracy, and the likely future of the extant form of life. Students and scholars specialising in comparative politics, and international relations of East Asia will find this book to be of interest. It will also be of use to those addressing political conflict in that part of the world.

This book critically assesses the implementation of the "one country, two systems" in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from the political, judicial, legal, economic and societal dimensions. The author contends that there has been a gradual process of mainlandization of the HKSAR, meaning that Hong Kong is increasingly economically dependent on the People's Republic of China (PRC), politically deferent to the central government on the scope and pace of democratic reforms, socially more patriotic toward the motherland and more prone to media self-censorship, and judicially more vulnerable to the interpretation of the Basic Law by the National People's Congress. This book aims to achieve a breakthrough in relating the development of Hong Kong politics to the future of mainland China and Taiwan. By broadening the focus of the "one country, two systems" from governance to the process of Sino-British negotiations and their thrust-building efforts, this book argues that the diplomats from mainland China and Taiwan can learn from the ways in which Hong Kong's political future was settled in 1982–1984. This is a book for students, researchers, scholars, diplomats and lay people.

In The New Politics of Beijing–Hong Kong Relations, Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo looks at the diverging changes to the ideologies from both Beijing and Hong Kong, and the ideological conflicts as taken in the form of factional political struggles between 2012 and the present. This book examines the paternalistic authoritarianism that can be seen in Beijing’s policy toward Hong Kong since the promulgation of the national security law in late June 2020. Lo analyzes the ideological shift from liberal nationalism to conservative nationalism in mainland China, which has taken place since late 2012. The increasingly radical localism in Hong Kong after 2014 transformed Beijing–Hong Kong relations into a conflict-ridden situation characterized by factional struggles. While the imposition of the national security law into Hong Kong since late June 2020 has stabilized the city politically, Beijing’s policy toward Hong Kong is now guided by the principles of protecting its national security and maintaining economic pragmatism, with implications for Beijing’s relations with Taipei in the coming years. “Professor Lo’s detailed and granular account of the clash between rising conservative nationalism in China and growing localist sentiment in Hong Kong offers an indispensable guide to the events and forces that culminate in the imposition of the national security law in 2020. This is an important contribution by a leading scholar and deserves a wide readership.” —Victor Falkenheim, University of Toronto “Detailed, intricate, and informed, an original and forceful analysis of the ideologies and factional politics that have shaped the recent interactions of Beijing and Hong Kong in the lead up to the 2020 national security law and beyond.” —Paul Evans, University of British Columbia “Professor Lo strikes an excellently researched, balanced but critical perspective, sharing blame for the transformation of ‘one country, two systems,’ on a naïve, radical, localist populism in the HKSAR, whose actions fed the fears of the Chinese government about threats to China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong. The resulting national security law replaced Hong Kong’s pluralist system with a paternalistic one.” —David Zweig, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

On July 1st, 2007, Hong Kong celebrated the 10th anniversary of its return to the People’s Republic of China, but the past decade has been a bumpy ride for both the Hong Kong people and the central leaders in China. In fact, in 2003 Beijing had already succumbed to public pressure within the fairly short period of its rule by abruptly replacing its handpicked first Chief Executive with a British-groomed civil servant. This book examines the origin and evolution of Hong Kong’s political system, analyses the current contradictions in the system, and discusses how the system might develop in future. It focuses in particular on the office of Chief Executive in the context of Hong Kong’s transformation from a British colony to a Special Administrative Region in China. The dualistic structure of the Chief Executive’s office embodies a dilemma between two competing imperatives – Communist China’s imperative to retain a colonial political system where executive power is concentrated at the top; alongside the need to accommodate new, increasing demands for democratic representation within the territory. The Political Future of Hong Kong demonstrates how the British legacy left its imprint on Hong Kong’s political system. It analyses the strategies adopted by the Sovereign state as it attempted to cope with demands for representative government in the post-handover years, and the strains placed on Hong Kong’s political institutions by the uneasy relationship between central government and local forces of liberal autonomy. Kit Poon examines the possibility of the introduction of universal suffrage for the selection of the Chief Executive, and considers how Hong Kong can secure a democratic future in the context of broader Beijing-Hong Kong relations.

In the tumultuous negotiations of the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, the United Kingdom willingly signed over Hong Kong's reigns to the People's Republic of China, but with the presupposition that the PRC would faithfully implement the principle of 'one country, two systems' for the following fifty years. Yet since the handover in 1997, the PRC has failed to allow Hong Kong a higher degree of autonomy. 'One Country, Two Systems' in Crisis elucidates how China's intervention has curtailed Hong Kong's civil liberties; how freedom of speech is at the mercy of the government; and how deception has turned the 'Pearl of the Orient' into the rubber stamp of the Chinese Communist Party.

Hong Kong in Focus - Political & Economic Issues

This edited volume is a compilation of the analyses written by East Asian Institute experts on Hong Kong since the handover. It covers most, if not all the important events that have taken place in Hong Kong since 1997, including its economic integration and relations with China, its governance conundrums, the Hong Kong identity and nation-building, the implementation of the minimum wage, and the elections from 2011–2012. The book's panoramic view of Hong Kong makes it a useful resource for readers who seek a broad understanding of the city and how it has evolved after its return to China. It also offers some glimpses into the direction Hong Kong is heading in its socio-economic relations with China at both the state and society levels, as well as its domestic political developments and the prospects for democratization. Contents:Integration and Interdependence:After Smooth Handover, Now the Hard Part (WANG Gungwu and John WONG)CEPA: A Gift from Beijing? (John WONG)Hong Kong's CEPA with Mainland China (ZHANG Yang and John WONG)Economic Recovery: A Bumpy Road Ahead (ZHANG Yang and Sarah Y TONG)Broadening Its Economic Linkages with Guangdong (YU Hong)Governance Crises and Social Discontent:Ending the Governance Crisis? (ZHENG Yongnian and TOK Sow Keat)The Politics of Chief Executive Elections from Tung to Tsang (LEE Ngok and Thomas CHAN Man-hung)State, Market Force and National Identity (Bill Chou)Identity Politics (KWONG Kin Ming and YU Hong)The Road to a Statutory Minimum Wage: Lessons and Implications (YEW Chiew Ping)Is Hong Kong Dying? (KWONG Kin-ming and YEW Chiew Ping)Electoral Reforms and Democratisation:Democratisation in Hong Kong: A Crisis Brewing for Beijing? (ZHENG Yongnian and TOK Sow Keat)Political Reform and Dilemma (YEW Chiew Ping)The 2011 District Council Election: A New Political Landscape? (YEW Chiew Ping)The 2012 Chief Executive Election and After (YEW Chiew Ping)The 2012 Legislative Council Election: New Political Landscape and Governance Challenges (YEW Chiew Ping and KWONG Kin-ming) Readership: Researchers, professionals, undergraduate and graduate students interested in the Hong Kong's integration and relations with China, and One Country, Two Systems. Keywords:Hong Kong;China;Handover;One Country, Two Systems;Economic Integration;Direct Elections;Political Reforms;Governance CrisisKey Features:Traces the political, economic and social development of Hong Kong in the last 15 yearsExamines why economic integration has not brought Hong Kong socially and politically closer to mainland ChinaProvides an outlook of the challenges ahead for both Hong Kong and ChinaReviews: “This edited volume is valuable to scholars, graduate students, researchers and Hong Kong watchers who truly care for the future of the SAR.” Pacific Affairs

This book explores the connection between politics and mega-events in post-handover Hong Kong and Macao. It also offers an in-depth account of the two cities’ keenness to integrate with China and engage in the international society and China’s eagerness to build image, boost influence and gain respect on the global arena. This work will facilitate academics, think tanks, diplomats and government officials to further understand the politics and international relations of China, Hong Kong and Macao.