Happy Lunar New Year from the USC US-China Institute!
Looking at Hong Kong
Hong Kong emerged in the 1980s as a global financial center. A British colony from 1842 to 1997, it is in its third decade as a special administrative region of the PRC.
October 30, 2023
USCI video discussions:
Michael Davis on Making Hong Kong China, 2020
Long-time Hong Kong law professor Michael Davis looks at Beijing's growing interference in the “one country, two systems” model China promised Hong Kong during the 1997 handover. The 2020 National Security Law, he said, aims to snuff out remaining public resistance.
Antony Dapiran on the Protests in Hong Kong, 2020
Hong Kong based attorney, author and photographer Antony Dapiran discussed City on Fire, his new book on the city's protests and what they mean for the future of Hong Kong and China.
Jeff Wasserstrom on Hong Kong on the Brink, 2020
In this illustrated presentation, historian Jeff Wasserstrom puts events since the 1997 Handover and particularly since the 2014 Umbrella Movement into comparative and historical perspective.
Scholars and Analysts on the Movement in Hong Kong, 2019
Robert Chung (Public Opinion Research Institute), Robert Koepp (Economist Intelligence Unit), Francis Lee (Chinese University Hong Kong) and Fiona Ng (KPCC) examined the issues driving the protests in Hong Kong, the social composition and motivations of the protesters and counter-protesters, and how the various sides are using media to reach local, mainland and international audiences.
David Zweig on the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, 2015
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology political scientist David Zweig assessed the impact of the 2014 protests. Zweig concluded that the big winner was C.Y. Leung, the Hong Kong Chief Executive who weathered this storm and earned the continued backing of Beijing. Zweig argued that the Umbrella Movement (as the demonstrations came to be called due to the protestors use of umbrellas to fend off pepper spray) had failed. The demonstrators had not managed to get Beijing to reconsider its plans for the 2017 election and had also failed in getting C.Y. Leung to step down, on his own or at the urging of the Beijing authorities.
Other resources:
Treaty of Nanjing, 1842
Joint Declaration by the Governments of the United Kingdom and People's Republic of China on Hong Kong, 1984
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 1990
PRC National People's Congress, Decision on the Selection of the Hong Kong Chief Executive, 2014
Hong Kong Government Proposed Extradition Bill, 2019
PRC National People's Congress, National Security Law for Hong Kong, 2020
Reports and speeches by government officials and organizations
Protesting in China, includes section on Hong Kong, 2021
Featured Articles
January 4, 2024
We note the passing of many prominent individuals who played some role in U.S.-China affairs, whether in politics, economics or in helping people in one place understand the other.
Events
Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 4:00pm PST
Ying Zhu looks at new developments for Chinese and global streaming services.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 4:00pm
David Zweig examines China's talent recruitment efforts, particularly towards those scientists and engineers who left China for further study. U.S. universities, labs and companies have long brought in talent from China. Are such people still welcome?