Hong Kong and Macau are the only two “special administrative regions“ in China- regions that are given a high degree of autonomy and allowed to not practice China‘s Socialist systems. This panel evaluates the nearly 21 years (for Hong Kong) and 18 years (for Macau) of implementing this “One Country, Two Systems“ governing mode and...
“One Country, Two Systems“ after 20 years: From Semi-Democracy to Semi-Authoritarianism
This paper argues that the nature of Hong Kong‘s constitutional and political systems has changed from that of Semi-Democracy to Semi-Authoritarianism. The presentation will examine the reasons behind the change and its implications on the future of “One Country, Two Systems“ in Hong Kong.
Maintaining Institutional Strength: the Court and the Rule of Law
A perennial problem in the “One Country, Two Systems“ model is the demarcation between “one country“ and “two systems“. Balancing security with liberty is particularly challenging in HK when security is approached from a national legal-political system that does not share HK‘s values on the rule of law, judicial independence, the court‘s role, and the...
Source of Resilience in Hong Kong‘s Politico-Legal Culture: Comparative Perspectives from Macau
This paper presents comparative perspectives from Macau regarding sources of resilience in the Chinese Special Administrative Regions (SARs). It will signal what in my view are commonalities between the two SARs, the main differences as well as the paths of evolution verified on both sides of the Pearl River estuary autonomic territorial entities. Some aspects...
Twilight of the Idolized: Hong Kong’s Legal and Judicial Cultures under Stress
HK‘s judges and lawyers have often been hailed as a source of resilience against encroachments on the rule of law. I argue this “idolized“ expectation has been misplaced. Actions taken by Beijing have constrained or been perceived as valid constraints on the courts. The maturing of the Mainland legal services market, amongst other things, led...