Who's Influencing Whom? Exploring the Influence of Hong Kong on Politics and Governance in China

Abstract

This paper explores how Hong Kong has influenced Chinese politics and governance in the constitutional, political, ideational, and intergovernmental dimensions since 1997. Despite the growing political and economic impact of the Mainland on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the latter has continued to influence the Mainland, especially southern China.

The High Court of the People: Popular Constitutionalism inHongKong underChinese Sovereignty

“…The involvement of activists from Hong Kong in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests reinforced Beijing's apprehension that the future SAR might become a subversive sanctuary for the Communist Party's enemies (Cheung ). Indeed, the crackdown ignited an unprecedented reaction that saw one million Hong Kong residents storm into the streets in support of democracy and human rights.…”

Polluted Air or Policy Advance in Hong Kong‐Guangdong?

“…Hong Kong's role in inspiring innovative governance in the mainland has many precedents (Cheung, ; Loh, ).…”

“…Shenzhen commercial law is based on Hong Kong commercial law. Similarly, China's first anticorruption unit, established in 1989 in Guangdong, was modeled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission against Corruption (Cheung, , p. 728). The Regional Air Pollution Monitoring System shows transparency increases with HK‐GD cooperation.…”

“…There have been hesitant recent moves toward increased NGO autonomy in China. In 2008, Shenzhen allowed “business, social welfare, and charity bodies” to operate legally without having to attach themselves to “supervisors” ( yewu zhuquan danwei ; Cheung, , p. 735). However, new Guangdong NGOs need development support.…”

“…Hong Kong has a history of transferring governance expertise to the mainland. An exchange program was established in 2002 among Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Guangdong, through which “officials from each side [could] work in their partner agencies for four to eight weeks” (Cheung, , p. 727). Hong Kong itself has a recent, albeit somewhat hesitant, history of participatory institutions.…”