The Challenge of Hong Kong’s Reintegration with China

The seven essays in this volume address some of the critical issues underlining the process of Hong Kong’s reintegration with China. In reviewing the drastic changes in Hong Kong since the mid-1980s, the authors provide multi-disciplinary perspectives to articulate the major institutions and forces that shape the interaction between Beijing and Hong Kong and help to define the challenges ahead.

Ming Chan delineates the key dimensions of the China factor in Hong Kong’s transition. John Burns offers a comparative analysis of the PRC and Hong Kong civil service systems. Alvin So suggests the root causes of Hong Kong’s recent political crisis as a case of ‘contested democracy’. Alison Conner focuses on the controversies in the legal system and the rule of law in the transition. Chin-Chuan Lee assesses the impact of regime change on press freedom and the media. Janet Salaff, Siu-lun Wong and Mei-ling Fung use interview surveys to construct profiles on emigration decision as manifestation of public confidence. Finally, James Tang observes the China-Hong Kong integration in a globalization and nationalization context.

The editor of this volume, Ming Chan, is a member of the History Department, the University of Hong Kong. Concurrently, he is executive coordinator of the Hong Kong Documentary Archives, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.