China's policy toward Hong Kong: A taste of ''one country, two systems''

The Chinese leadership's top priority in its policy toward Hong Kong has been the maintenance of the territory's stability and prosperity. Since 1996, it has adopted a more flexible attitude toward the British administration, and has been prepared to reach agreements on noncontroversial issues. Meanwhile, the economies of Hong Kong and China have become closely integrated, and China has been successful in cultivating the local business community. In the election of the first Chief Executive and the provisional legislature, the Chinese authorities made sure that nothing could go wrong. Similarly, their tolerance of opposition, dissidence, and foreign interference has been limited. Under such circumstances, the Hong Kong people have, on the whole, chosen to give ''one country two systems'' the benefit of the doubt and accepted the substitution of stability and prosperity for democracy.