China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc.

Abstract

The reversion of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in June 1997 marked the reunification of the old Chinese empire in a new world economic superpower. Since the early 1980s, investment money has poured into China from Hong Kong and trade has been escalating dramatically. A few years later the same pattern began with China and Taiwan. The combination of Hong Kong/Taiwan management and financial know-how and China's inexhaustible pool of cheap labour has enabled China to leap from impoverished revolutionary state to major world trading power. But when China reclaims Hong Kong, it inherits a political city-state with democratic structures. This text explores whether China will become the first totally post-political corporatist super-power, while making itself impermeable to the spiritual pollution of outside democratic values, human rights values, and political freedom.