Business as usual: The dynamics of government-business relations in the Hong Kong special administrative region

Abstract

This is an attempt to evaluate the implications of Hong Kong's political transition to post-colonial rule for economic governance in the SAR beyond the 'Beijing versus Hong Kong' perspective. The article examines the changing government-business dynamics in Hong Kong after the reversion by focusing on three inter-related dimensions: economic ideology; institutional and policy framework; and the new political environment in post-colonial Hong Kong. By challenging the assertion that Hong Kong is returning to the pre-Patten colonial order under Chinese management, it argues that economic governance in Hong Kong has always been more complex than has been characterized in the literature. A conceptual framework incorporating the dynamic interplay of domestic and international factors is needed to comprehend the changing nature of government-business relationships in the SAR.