1984-1997







Hong Kong since 1997


Administration . In 1997 Hong Kong was turned over from British to Chinese rule. The policy 'One Country, Two Systems' applies; Hong Kong forms a special economic zone within the PR China. Hong Kong has a flag of her own. Tung Chee Hwa functioned as Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Zone from 1997 to 2005, succeeded by Donald Tsang.

Hong Kong and China . Since 1997, Hong Kong has maintained her identity as a distinct administrative entity and capitalist economy within the nominally Communist People's Republic of China. While some critics point at Hong Kong being not as democratic as desired, the mass exodus of Hong Kong residents and capital predicted by pessimists has not taken place; critics have the freedom to stage demonstrations.

The Economy . Since 1997, Hong Kong, as regional trading hub, has been outshadowed by resurgent Shanghai. Hong Kong suffered from the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, the SARS crisis of 2002-2003 (Hong Kong had 1755 confirmed cases) and the H5N1 version of the avian flu, although no cases have been recorded in Hong Kong itself, only in a number of Chinese provinces, also may affect the economy of Hong Kong adversely.
For decades Hong Kong was an economic anomaly, a trade hub because Guangzhou (Canton) and Shanghai failed to live up to their potential. This situation is no longer given; Hong Kong faces competition. Through the handover, Hong Kong maintained her currency, the Hong Kong Dollar. New banknotes and coins were issued in 1997, no longer featuring portraits of the Queen.

Social History . The census of 1996 counted 6.2 million Hong Kong residents. The census of 2006 counted 6.9 million.

Cultural History . Hong Kong athletes, under the Hong Kong flag, participated in the Summer Olympics of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Article Transfer of the Sovereignty of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Basic Law, Tung Chee Hwa, Donald Tsang, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, SARS, Hong Kong at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Hong Kong at the 2004 Summer Olympics, from Wikipedia
A Case of Self-Delusion. Part 1 : From Colonialism to Confusion, by Henry C.K. Liu
Catherine R. Schenk, Economic History of Hong Kong, from Economic History Encyclopedia
DOCUMENTS Hong Kong Administrators, from World Statesmen (B. Cahoon), scroll down for Hong Kong
Historical Population Statistics : Hong Kong, from Population Statistics (Jan Lahmeyer)
REFERENCE Frank Welsh, A Borrowed Place, The History of Hong Kong, NY : Kodansha 1993
Article : Dependent States : East Asia, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1986 p.600, 1987 p.568, 1988 p.520, 1989 p.520, 1990 p.536, 1991 pp.520-521, 1992 p.493, 1993 pp.501-502, 1994 pp.501-502 [G]
Article : Hong Kong, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1985 p.698, 1986 p.695, 1987 p.664, 1988 p.616, 1989 p.617, 1990 p.632, 1991 p.617, 1992 p.616, 1993 p.624, 1994 p.625, 1995 p.625, 1996 p.625, 1997 p.623 [G]
Article : Hong Kong, in : Statesman's Year Book 1984-1985 pp.589-594, 1985-1986 pp.591-597, 1986-1987 pp.594-600, 1987-1988 pp.600-606, 1988-1989 pp.602-608, 1989-1990 pp.607-613, 1990-1991 pp.607-613, 1991-1992 pp.605-611, 1992-1993 pp.678-684, 1993-1994 pp.683-689, 1994-1995 pp.675-681, 1995-1996 pp.673-678, 1996-1997 pp.615-620 [G]
Article : China, Hong Kong, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1997-1998 pp.360-365 [G]
Article : Hong Kong, in : Americana Annual 1988 p.267, 1989 p.264, 1990 p.260, 1991 p.268, 1993 pp.267-268, 1994 p.268 [G]
Entry : Hong Kong, in : The Commonwealth Yearbook 1989 pp.444-454 [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on June 8th 2007

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