The Partnership between the Chinese Government and Hong Kong's Capitalist Class: Implications for HKSAR Governance, 1997–2012

Existing literature has long recognized that a partnership has been forged between the PRC government and Hong Kong's capitalist class. However, the implications of such a partnership for HKSAR governance have yet to be thoroughly explored. By examining the formation of this partnership and its...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe China quarterly (London) Vol. 217; no. 217; pp. 195 - 220
Main Author Fong, Brian C.H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.03.2014
Subjects
Alliance
Alliances
Autonomy
Beijing, Peoples Republic of China
Business
Business community
Capitalism
China
Chinese languages
Cleavage
Collaboration
Colonialism
Democratization
East Asian politics
Economic reform
Elections
Elites
Governance
Government
Hong Kong
Industrial sectors
Partnership
Political alliances
Political appointments
Political parties
Politics
Postcolonial societies
Postcolonialism
Social Class
Sovereign states
Sovereignty
State
Hong Kong China
Beijing China
New York
East Asia
United States > US
China
state–business relations
Chinese government
Hong Kong
governance
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Summary:Existing literature has long recognized that a partnership has been forged between the PRC government and Hong Kong's capitalist class. However, the implications of such a partnership for HKSAR governance have yet to be thoroughly explored. By examining the formation of this partnership and its consolidation after 1997, this article argues that the business sector's direct access to the sovereign state has fundamentally changed the dynamics of state–business relations in the HKSAR. As a consequence of the partnership between Beijing and the business sector, business elites have taken their concerns straight to the mainland authorities whenever they see their interests affected by the post-colonial state. This kind of circumvention has become a part of post-1997 politics, undermining the relative autonomy of the post-colonial state and resulting in growing cleavages within the state–business alliance during the first 15 years of the HKSAR. Whether and how such a partnership will evolve in the aftermath of the 2012 chief executive election remains to be seen.
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ISSN:0305-7410
1468-2648
DOI:10.1017/S0305741014000307