Keeping democracy at bay
Subtitle: Hong Kong and the challenge of Chinese political reform
By: Suzanne Pepper
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Lanham
Language: eng
Number of pages: 448
ISBN-13: 9780742508767; 9780742508774
Subjects: Hong Kong (China) -- Politics and government
Other titles: Hong Kong and the challenge of Chinese political reform
Description: "This thoroughly researched study provides an invaluable account of Hong Kong's political evolution from its founding as a British colony to the present. Exploring the interplay among colonial, capitalist, communist, and democratic forces in shaping Hong Kong's political institutions and culture, Suzanne Pepper offers a perspective on the territory's development and an account of the transition from British to Chinese rule." "The author carries her narrative forward through the lives of significant figures, capturing the personalities and issues central to understanding Hong Kong's political history. Bringing a balanced view to her often contentious subject, she places Hong Kong's current partisan debates between democrats and their opponents within the context of China's ongoing search for a viable political from. The book considers Beijing's increasing intervention in local affairs and focuses on the challenge for Hong Kong's democratic reformers in an environment where ultimate political power resides with the communist-led mainland government and its appointees."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 397-425) and index
Table of contents: title: Hong Kong, China, and the West; title: Part One: Colonial foundations; title: The original inheritance; title: Crown colony rule, 1841-1941; title: Chinese "self-government"; title: Part Two: Autocrats, communists, and reformers; title: New beginnings, old solutions; title: The Cold War reaches Hong Kong; title: Showcase democracy; title: A 1960s rebellion and its aftermath; title: Progress without political reform; title: Political reform without independence; title: A political community in the making; title: Better late than never?; title: Part Three: Under Chinese rule; title: Crossing the 1997 divide; title: Reaffirmation and retreat; title: Conservative counter-currents; title: Checkmate