The emergence of nativist groups and political change

This chapter deals with a very controversial topic in Hong Kong today: the emergence of so-called nativist groups which promote the political separation of Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland, either by asserting full autonomy, declaring independence, or even returning to British control. The main reason for the rise of this type of aspiring interest group in Hong Kong politics is the unwillingness of the mainland Chinese government to adhere to its promise of “a high degree of autonomy” and “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong.” The extent of autonomy has been at the mercy of the interpretation of the PRC government. In recent times, it has sought to assert greater political control over its special administrative region. For instance, a 2014 White Paper on the “one country, two systems” principle stressed that “loving the country is the basic political requirement for Hong Kong’s administrators.”1 The definition of administrators even included judges, which raised concern about the principle of judicial independence, which is at the heart of the Hong Kong system. The most crucial event was the decision to limit candidates for the Chief Executive election to only those who were pre-selected by a nomination committee stacked with pro-government members to ensure that only a pro-Beijing candidate could get nominated. Even though this reform proposal was defeated, the lack of democratic progress has created the sense that Hong Kong’s system needs to be defended from further mainland Chinese intrusion by maximizing the degree of autonomy or even declaring “independence.”2 Under colonial rule, a strong civic identity emerged which was based on the liberal political system and its values. Supporters of democracy in Hong Kong generally saw themselves as better Chinese, who provided a viable political alternative to the repressive dictatorship on the mainland. The newly emerging nativist groups which originate from the declining sense of autonomy seek a Hong Kongcentric system, which places the interests of local residents first. In this context, an ethnic identity has arguably emerged that fundamentally challenges the Chinese identity. This chapter will first outline the relationship between democratization and national identity and discuss factors that contribute to the emergence of nationalist movements, which share some aspects with the nativist groups in Hong Kong. Then I will trace the emergence of a strong civic identity which cherishes

the liberal political values underlying Hong Kong’s political system. The existence of a strong identity was met by Beijing with an attempt to instill its own national identity based on a primordial ethnic identity to gain support for the PRC’s Communist regime. As a consequence, there has been a growing rejection of Chinese identity and an emphasis on local culture. Although lacking strong leadership, a growing number of small nativist groups and parties have become increasingly prominent. Particularly after the Umbrella Movement, many of the groups have decided to pursue a more aggressive form of confrontational politics while some have also sought to enter institutional politics. The goal has been to transform the movement into a new powerful political interest group, essentially a third political force which challenges both the existing proBeijing and the pan-democratic camps. This development marks a fundamental transformation of Hong Kong politics that will continue to shape the political development as well as relations with the mainland long into the future.