Suchergebnisse

Chapters include: 'The Nature of the Colonial State', 'The Post-Colonial State', 'Political Parties', 'Encroachments on Civil Society', 'Civil Society in Self-Defense' and 'An Institutionalist's Conclusion'.

This article reviews how Beijing's design of a liberal autocracy constrains party development in Hong Kong. It shows how the governing philosophy and the institutional design and mechanics of the electoral system disallow a strong governing party and suppress political participation. This situation brings about a weakened state capacity and a fragmented ruling coalition with elites working on contrasting incentives. It also leads to legislative fragmentation and declining public confidence in legislative and party politics. Unable to contain political participation, radical street actions arose to challenge the government. The 2019 Anti-Extradition Movement best exemplifies the weakness of the ruling coalition and the radicalization of street politics posing major challenges to the governance of Hong Kong.

Twenty years after 1997, political parties in Hong Kong are still underdeveloped. The hybrid regime has posed major constraints, as there are no governing parties, and democratic development is slow. The parties have also found it difficult to respond to value changes toward radicalization, a new political identity, and post-materialism, with support shifting to new movement groups.

The China factor has always been a significant structural, ideological, and organisational factor in Hong Kong elections. Since 2003, the deepening of intervention by Beijing and its Liaison Office in Hong Kong meant that the China factor as an organisational force became increasingly salient in elections. It also drove more people, especially young people, to resist China's control and take the road of supporting independence or self-determination. The 2016 elections showed more ostensible intervention by the Liaison Office, and independence became a new campaign issue. The China factor will continue to be an integral part of Hong Kong elections in years to come. (China Perspect/GIGA)

Social, political, and economic changes in post-industrial Hong Kong brought a less instrumental view of democracy, more skepticism against the neoliberal regime, and more support for post-materialist values. The changing values make the old legitimacy formula obsolete, creating a legitimacy crisis for the undemocratic, business-dominated, and low-interventionist government.

The 2010 political reform in Hong Kong was a historic compromise between Beijing authorities and Hong Kong democrats. For the first time in 20 years, Beijing delegates negotiated directly with Hong Kong democrats, with both sides making concessions to strike a political deal. With the Hong Kong movement split into two factions, the "negotiating faction" managed to begin pact-making with Beijing. Beijing is still intent on controlling Hong Kong as a hybrid regime. For Hong Kong's democrats to break out of the hybrid regime, it will take a protracted struggle—with right balance of mobilization and negotiation.