The Economic Roots of the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong

The Economic Roots of the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong

Author: Louis Augustin-Jean

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-02-15

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1351255495

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In the autumn of 2014, thousands of people, young and educated in their majority, occupied the chief business district and seat of the government in Hong Kong. The protest, known as the Umbrella Movement, called for ‘genuine democracy’, as well as a fairer social and economic system. The book aims to provide a dynamic framework to explain why socioeconomic forces converged to produce such a situation. Examining increasing inequality, rising prices and stagnating incomes, it stresses the role of economic and social factors, as opposed to the domestic political and constitutional issues often assumed to be the root cause behind the protests. It first argues that globalization and the increasing influence of China’s economy in Hong Kong has weighted on salaries. Second, it shows that the oligopolistic nature of the local economy has generated rents, which have reinforced inequality. The book demonstrates that the younger generation, which is still finding its place in society, has been particularly affected by these phenomena, especially with social mobility at a low point. Offering a new approach to studying the Umbrella Movement, this book will appeal to students and scholars interested in Hong Kong's political landscape, as well Chinese politics more broadly.


Politics and Government in Hong Kong

Politics and Government in Hong Kong

Author: Ming Sing

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0415469406

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This book examines the government of Hong Kong since its handover to China in 1997, arguing that Hong Kong has been poorly governed and that this is what lies behind regular mass protests since 2003. It considers the different aspects of these government problems, and assesses prospects for the future.


Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong SAR

Author: Beatrice Leung

Publisher: Chinese University Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9789622017856

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There are already many books on the challenges facing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), but this volume has a distinct contribution to make by offering an analysis of the evolving political order in Hong Kong and its international role. The team of authors comes from tertiary institutions within and outside Hong Kong, and they all have been studying the territory for many years. The authors focus on the plans of the Chinese authorities and the expectations of Hong Kong people. The gap between the two and the associated difficulties are then analysed. The authors also examine the possibilities of crises emerging, as well as the contingency plans formulated to deal with them.


Democracy in China

Democracy in China

Author: Jiwei Ci

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2019-11-19

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 0674238184

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A respected Chinese political philosopher calls for the Communist Party to take the lead in moving China along the path to democracy before it is too late. With Xi Jinping potentially set as president for life, China’s move toward political democracy may appear stalled. But Jiwei Ci argues that four decades of reform have created a mentality in the Chinese people that is just waiting for the political system to catch up, resulting in a disjunction between popular expectations and political realities. The inherent tensions in a largely democratic society without a democratic political system will trigger an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy, forcing the Communist Party to act or die. Two crises loom for the government. First is the waning of the Communist Party’s revolutionary legacy, which the party itself sees as a grave threat. Second is the fragility of the next leadership transition. No amount of economic success will compensate for the party’s legitimacy deficit when the time comes. The only effective response, Ci argues, will be an orderly transition to democracy. To that end, the Chinese government needs to start priming its citizens for democracy, preparing them for new civil rights and civic responsibilities. Embracing this pragmatic role offers the Communist Party a chance to survive. Its leaders therefore have good reason to initiate democratic change. Sure to challenge the Communist Party and stir debate, Democracy in China brings an original and important voice to an issue with far-reaching consequences for China and the world.


East Asian Perspectives on Political Legitimacy

East Asian Perspectives on Political Legitimacy

Author: Joseph Chan

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-11-17

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1108107826

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What makes a government legitimate? Why do people voluntarily comply with laws, even when no one is watching? The idea of political legitimacy captures the fact that people obey when they think governments' actions accord with valid principles. For some, what matters most is the government's performance on security and the economy. For others, only a government that follows democratic principles can be legitimate. Political legitimacy is therefore a two-sided reality that scholars studying the acceptance of governments need to take into account. The diversity and backgrounds of East Asian nations provides a particular challenge when trying to determine the level of political legitimacy of individual governments. This book brings together both political philosophers and political scientists to examine the distinctive forms of political legitimacy that exist in contemporary East Asia. It is essential reading for all academic researchers of East Asian government, politics and comparative politics.


The Dynamics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations

The Dynamics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations

Author: Sonny Shiu-hing Lo

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press

Published: 2008-04-01

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9789622099081

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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.


The Politics of Democratization in Hong Kong

The Politics of Democratization in Hong Kong

Author: Lo Shiu-hing

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-07-27

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 1349254673

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An analysis of the politics of transition in Hong Kong, focusing on the tug-of-war between China and Britain on democratization, and on the interactions between the increasingly politically active people of Hong Kong and the democratizing colonial regime. The successes and failures of British policy since 1984, and the missed opportunities to democratize faster prior to Governor Patten's appointment in 1992 are examined.


Political Order and Power Transition in Hong Kong

Political Order and Power Transition in Hong Kong

Author: Pang-kwong Li

Publisher: Chinese University Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9789622017832

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Leading scholars of Hong Kong studies have contributed their expertise and analyses to this volume in order to better understand the dynamics of change and related issues during this historic period of Hong Kong history. This book highlights some of the key issues that have emerged in the process of transition: British policy towards Hong Kong, political reforms and democratization, relations between the administration and the legislature, the transformation of senior civil service, development of political party, civil society, fiscal policy and land use, etc.


Hong Kong's Governance Under Chinese Sovereignty

Hong Kong's Governance Under Chinese Sovereignty

Author: Brian C. H. Fong

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-09-04

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1317813790

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As a hybrid regime, Hong Kong has been governed by a state-business alliance since the colonial era. However, since the handover in 1997, the transformation of Hong Kong’s political and socio-economic environment has eroded the conditions that supported a viable state-business alliance. This state-business alliance, which was once a solution for Hong Kong’s governance, has now become a political burden, rather than a political asset, to the post-colonial Hong Kong state. This book presents a critical re-examination of the post-1997 governance crisis in Hong Kong under the Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang administrations. It shows that the state-business alliance has failed to function as an organizational machinery for supporting the post-colonial state, and has also served to generate new governance problems. Drawing upon contemporary theories on hybrid regimes and state capacity, this book looks beyond the existing opposition-centered explanations of Hong Kong’s governance crisis. By establishing the causal relationship between the failure of the state-business alliance and the governance crisis facing the post-colonial state, Brian C. H. Fong broadens our understanding of the governance problems and political confrontations in post-colonial Hong Kong. In turn, he posits that although the state-business alliance worked effectively for the colonial state in the past, it is now a major problem for the post-colonial state, and suggests that Hong Kong needs a realignment of a new governing coalition. Hong Kong’s Governance under Chinese Sovereignty will enrich and broaden the existing literature on Hong Kong’s public governance whilst casting new light on the territory’s political developments. As such, it will be welcomed by students and scholars interested in Chinese politics, Hong Kong politics, and governance.