1. Benson Wai-kwok Wong
Postdoctoral Fellow
Taiwan Foundation for
Democracy
“One Country, Two Systems”:
A Decadal Reflection from a
Local Perspective

2. 2
Outline
1. Introduction
2. China VS Hong Kong
3. Nature of the PRC rule in Hong Kong
4. Tung Chee-hwa administration
5. Donald Tsang administration
6. Conclusion

3. 3
Introduction
 The optimistic view on “1 Country, 2
Systems” (1C2S) from pro-
establishment sector
 View this political experiment from a
local, not Beijing, perspective
 Presence of inconsistencies and
misunderstanding between Beijing and
HK

4. 4
China/HK, which is better?
 Tung CH: HK is better, motherland will be
better, and vice versa. Is it valid?
 Historical perspective: HK’s takeoff VS China’s
chaos
 Anti-communist syndrome:
 PRC’s authoritarian rule
 Political campaigns since 1949, notably the Cultural
Revolution (1966-76)
 The 1967 Riot in HK
 Tiananmen Square Protests (1989)
 Economic prosperity diverted political worries of
some HKers?

5. 5
Nature of PRC rule in HK [i]
1. Covert influence through Tung’s subservience and
conformity
2. The discourse of an “economic” city: depoliticizing
HK
 Utilizing HK’s economic strength to contribute to the
motherland (1980s)
 Devaluing economic value after the Asian Financial Crisis
+ increasing economic might of PRC = weakening its
political role (after 1997)
1. Legitimatizing the hegemony by the use of political
slogans: prosperity, stability and harmony

6. 6
Nature of PRC rule in HK [ii]
4. Understanding of HK is based on
misunderstanding and misperception:
result of burying the past
5. Guoqing education:
 Tse: National integration > self-governance
 Nationalism and patriotism: cultural heritage,
historical root, economic growth and science
and technology advances (yet cover up the
political practices and social problems)
 Instrumental nationalism/patriotism?

7. 7
Tung administration [i]
1. Lacked the administrative experiences and
leadership capacities
 Personal diligence =/= political wisdom
2. Lacked a definite and an efficient proposal
to take the deep-rooting economic
problems
 Housing problems (85,000 estate policy)
 Need the support of real estate developers
 Disarticulation between Tung and civil servants
in the policy-making arena

8. 8
Tung administration [ii]
3. Lacked a sustainable and detailed schedule to
fulfill his ambition
 CyberPort, flower plantation, Chinese medicine,
biochemistry, tourism in North Lantau, fashions,
entertainment
3. Political appointment of pro-Beijing elites into the
advisory/consultative committees (serve as
“public” opinion)
4. “Old and Stupid” Tung:
 Old: colonial political vision of the 1960s and 70s
 Stupidity: political naivety (Jiang Jiemin’s unconditional
support)

9. 9
Tung administration [iii]
6. Failed to serve as a bridge between HKers and the
central authorities
 Reinterpreting the Basic Law
 Enacting Art. 23 of the Basic Law
 Beijing authorities discrete when, how, how far
democratization could be taken, and interpret the
subsequent policies according to their political interests
6. Jiang JM: Tung = 1C2S?
7. 2003: A year of significance
 SARS
 Enacting Art, 23 of the Basic Law
 July 1 rally: Both Tung and Central authorities shocked

10. 10
Tsang administration [i]
1. Stepping down of Jiang and rise of Hu  Tung’s
departure
2. Tsang: a pragmatic choice
 His administrative experience, popularity, “strong
governance”
1. PRC: Saved HK economically:
 CEPA, Individual Free Visit, …
1. A “competitive” CE election: Tsang’s promise to
unfold democratization was hampered by Wu
Bangguo,
 confirming the Beijing orchestration in the backstage for
local political developments

11. 11
Tsang administration [ii]
5. Authorities ignore the drastic changes
of HK’s politics and society
 Vibrancy of civil society
 The effectiveness of Internet
 Spontaneous social movements
 E.g., The demolition of Star Ferry &
Queen Pier

12. 12
Tsang administration [iii]
6. Revitalization of 1C2S under Tsang?
 Basic misunderstanding of 1C2S persists
 HK people ruling HK
 What kind of HKers?
 How to rule HK?
 High autonomy is tarnished by
sovereignty

13. 13
Conclusion [i]
1. Does the PRC genuinely believe
“1C2S”?
 2S are as a means to achieve 1C?
 Politically, the socialist system overrides
the capitalist system?
 “over”-interpretation of the Basic Law
according to the designed political
purposes: dominant & manipulative?

14. 14
Conclusion [ii]
2. The ultimate outcome of 1C2S
 Politically, the capitalist system would transfer
into the socialist system (soft authoritarianism?)
 Economically, the increasing dependency on
China constitutes an obstacle to HK’s
democratization?
 A tug-of-war between authoritarian regime and
civil society
 In case of being violated the core values
(human rights, freedom and liberties), HKers
would define them by taking the tangible and
consistent actions  unintentionally drive local
democratization

15. 15
End of Presentation
 Questions, comments and
suggestions welcome!