Controlling Hong Kong from afar: The chinese politics of elite absorption after the 2003 crisis

The July 1, 2003, protest, when over half a million Hong Kong people took to the streets, led to the resignation of Beijing's handpicked leader of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa. Since that time, the Beijing government has tightened its control over the political development of the Special Administrative Region, strengthening and widening the channels through which it closely monitors the performance of the Hong Kong government and the pulse of the public. While trying to avoid the appearance of blatant intervention in Hong Kong's "internal" affairs under the constitutional framework of "one country, two systems, " Beijing has subtly revised its model of governance in a way that ensures a more effective connection with a cadre of powerful local elites. This paper will examine who these elites are, and discuss the importance of China's politics of elite absorption in Hong Kong. The analysis includes a newly constructed elite database. By way of conclusion, the bleak future of Hong Kong's highly autonomous status is discussed. © Institute of International Relations.