Globalization and reunification: Administrative reforms and the China - Hong Kong convergence challenge

On July 1, 1997, the world watched with great anticipation and. curiosity as China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong. Before, during, and after the British transferred power, many wondered if socialist China could accommodate capitalist Hong Kong and its efficient administrative system. The idea of "one country, two systems" is intriguing in theory but how well does it work in practice? Given China's emerging importance as a political and economic power, the editors asked several leading scholars from the Department of Public and Social Administration, the City University of Hong Kong, to share their views on the dynamics of transition in China and Hong Kong. The City University of Hong Kong has the largest concentration of scholars (30 full-time faculty) working in public administration and related disciplines in the territory. The article below by Ahmed Shafiqul Huque and Ray Yep is the first in a three part series. Huque and Yep analyze the political dimensions of the transition that both societies are undergoing. In Part 11 of the series (May/June issue), Ian Holliday and Linda Wong examine the changing nature of social policy in both China and Hong Kong. The third and final article (July/August issue) is authored by Syracuse University graduate Hon Chan. Chan seeks to answer the following question: To what extent, and for how long after 1997, can China and Hong Kong's two civil service systems coexist? The editors believe that PAR readers will find this series both informative and thought provoking.