Democratization in Hong Kong: Back to the future

On July 1, 1997, China took control over Hong Kong, where Britain had begun a process of introducing democracy. This dissertation examines the process of democratization in Hong Kong, with the hypothesis that democratic development will continue, despite being under Chinese rule. Hong Kong political elites will play a crucial role in the institutionalization of democracy and the eventual realization of a fully elected legislature and chief executive. Through a series of 108 interviews with 84 Hong Kong elites, including legislators and party leaders, as well as participant and direct observation of 15 campaigns for the Legislative Council in 1998, political leaders' beliefs and commitment towards democratic development and institutions are analyzed and put into the context of the post-handover environment. Evidence from the interviews done in 1997 and 1998 is also used to test the proposition that adherence to "Asian values" somehow undermines commitment to democracy in Hong Kong. Through the analysis of Hong Kong's elections the dissertation charts the effects of elections on its democratic development. A central hypothesis of the work is that Hong Kong conservative and liberal elites are moving toward informal alliances in order to facilitate further democratization after 2007.