Can Hong Kong Exceptionalism Last? Dilemmas of Governance and Public Administration over Five Decades, 1970s–2020

Anthony B. L. CHEUNG

nov 2021 · City University of HK Press

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Hong Kong under British rule was a prime example of exceptionalism in many aspects — economic, political, and even social. It was governed under a colonial structure and yet had enjoyed a large degree of social and economic freedom, as well as fiscal self-sufficiency and autonomy from London. After returning to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong has continued to thrive as a relatively resilient city-state still known for efficiency and effectiveness despite tensions and scepticism about its political future.

This book carries decades of academic observations and the author’s personal political experience. It reviews and reflects on the past trajectory of governance and administration, identifying strengths and capabilities as well as constraints and vulnerabilities of Hong Kong as a polity and society, while charting its course of ‘exceptionalism’ within a new context and under changing conditions. As this book concludes, the exceptionalism of Hong Kong not only hinges on institutional arrangements and historical inheritance but also on the statecraft of the administration of the day.

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“… This is a text for deep reading, reflection, and deliberation.”

– Professor LUI Tai-lok

Chair Professor of Hong Kong Studies, Director of the Academy of Hong Kong Studies,

Director of the Centre for Greater China Studies, and Former Vice President (Research & Development) at The Education University of Hong Kong

“… a gem … whatever your political stand is, you have to admire Professor Cheung’s thorough observations and profound ideas on what made this city tick…”

– Mr LAM Woon-kwong

Former Secretary for the Civil Service and Secretary for Home Affairs,

and Former Convenor of Non-Official Members of the Executive Council (2012–2017)

“… a compelling addition to the literature on Hong Kong.”

– Professor Darryl S.L. JARVIS

Professor and former Head of the Department of Asian and Policy Studies

at The Education University of Hong Kong

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Professor Anthony B.L. Cheung is the former President of the Education University of Hong Kong. He joined the civil service under the British administration in the 1970s and worked for various departments over the course of his service before starting his academic career in 1986 at City University of Hong Kong. He has taken part in local politics and was one of the founders of the Democratic Party (in 1994) as well as a member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council. He was also active in think-tanks like Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and The SynergyNet. From 2012–2017, he served in the government as Secretary for Transport and Housing. As an academic, his research focus has been on governance and public administration in Hong Kong as well as comparative public administration in Asia, writing extensively on public sector reform and civil service reform, privatisation, corporatisation, and Asian administrative reforms. He has published numerous journal articles and books on these topics. He helped set up the Governance in Asia Research Center (2002) at The City University of Hong Kong and the Center for Governance and Citizenship (2009) at The Education University of Hong Kong, and was the co-founder of the Asian Forum on Public Management (2001), now the Asian Association for Public Administration (2010).