Cultivating dependence: China’s Hong Kong Policy after political resumption

Abstract

This paper traces the development and changes of China’s policy toward Hong Kong after 1997, and the reaction of the local and international community, notably the US, UK and the United Nations, to the policy. It investigates China’s direct and indirect control on Hong Kong in economy, politics and administration, civic and patriotic education, and the mass media. It argues that China’s Hong Kong policy is characterized by five main types of strategies, including denunciation, collaboration, cooptation, persuasion and integration. The strategies vary on the degree of rationality and instrumentality involved as well as the degree of actual power sharing. Despite the strategies used, China’s policy toward Hong Kong has, consciously or consciously, cultivated dependence of the city on its motherland. For instance, Beijing has attempted to co-opt media personnel by giving them medals of honor and appointing them as advisors to the Chinese government. Also, Hong Kong’s economic success has become more dependent than ever on China since political resumption. While the responses of the local community to the policy and strategies are divided, the international community is in general apathetic to how China deals with Hong Kong except on issues which will probably have significant political and economic repercussions regionally or globally.