Hong Kong and its Sovereign Before and After 1997
Edited by Ray Yep
- Published:
- Pages: 336 pp.
- illustrated
- Series number: 2
About the book
- Focuses on the perimeters defining Hong Kong’s autonomy since 1997.
- Analyses the logic of engagement between Beijing and Hong Kong.
- Uncovers the intricacies of the intergovernmental relationship and the dynamics of central–local interaction.
Local autonomy is a complex and often contentious issue in many countries, not least because the situation often involves a process of continuous (re)negotiation. Moreover, the actual power relationship is defined not only by legal permissibility but also by such other factors as varying political perceptions, economic interests and previous encounters between the centre and periphery.
This volume demonstrates that Hong Kong is a good illustration of the intricacies of the dynamic relationship in a Chinese context. The territory has a long history of pursuing its own path, both in colonial times and since 1997. With essays spanning both periods, the volume offers an understanding of the mind-set and actions of both Beijing and Hong Kong in pursuing their goals. It also provides a nuanced framework for evaluating central–local interaction in general.
About the author
Ray Yep is a Professor of Politics and Assistant Head of the Department of Public and Social Administration, City University of Hong Kong. He has published extensively on late colonial Hong Kong and the political economy of marketization in China.
Ray Yep is a Professor of Politics and Assistant Head of the Department of Public and Social Administration, City University of Hong Kong. He has published extensively on late colonial Hong Kong and the political economy of marketization in China. He is the author/editor of Manager Empowerment in China (Routledge: 2003) and May Days in Hong Kong (Hong Kong University Press: 2009).
Go to author pageReviews
"(…) this book is well worth reading for the insights it provides as to what autonomy means in the context of “one country, two systems.” As its editor and chapter writers well realize, Hong Kong-China relations at present represent an extraordinary political experiment, an experiment whose broad historical and comparative context this book ably documents and analyzes."<
"(…) this book is well worth reading for the insights it provides as to what autonomy means in the context of “one country, two systems.” As its editor and chapter writers well realize, Hong Kong-China relations at present represent an extraordinary political experiment, an experiment whose broad historical and comparative context this book ably documents and analyzes."
"All the chapters in this book are interesting and well-written.
"All the chapters in this book are interesting and well-written. The book sheds new light on the contentious process of negotiating autonomy by offering insights from scholars from different disciplines (including political science, public administration, sociology, law and history) and researchers from different social backgrounds, including expatriates who have served and lived in Hong Kong for decades; local academics born in Hong Kong who are well versed in Western and liberal ideas; and overseas Chinese who crave an identity distinctive from the mainland regime. The richness and sophistication of this book is enhanced by the diversity in perspective, discipline and case materials, as well as the different personal backgrounds of the authors."
"The premise of this exceptionally well-focused collection of essays is that Hong Kong’s autonomy has always been a process of negotiation, and that understanding how autonomy becomes political reality requires analysing it within a complex range of interactions between London and Hong Kong and between the PRC’s centre and its periphery regions."
"The premise of this exceptionally well-focused collection of essays is that Hong Kong’s autonomy has always been a process of negotiation, and that understanding how autonomy becomes political reality requires analysing it within a complex range of interactions between London and Hong Kong and between the PRC’s centre and its periphery regions."