British Policy toward Hong Kong and its Political Reform

Abstract

Twenty years after the return of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, this paper examines the UK’s policy toward Hong Kong over the last decade, with a particular focus on its approach toward the ongoing and intensifying political and constitutional debates in Hong Kong, which have partial origins in the British colonial legacy. The paper argues that the UK has been attempting a delicate balancing act in relation to Hong Kong between a number of factors: the growing importance of relations with China as a whole, the particular opportunities offered by UK–Hong Kong links, the changing and more contested political landscape in Hong Kong, the occasional intervention of British politics, and the agreements on Hong Kong’s future to which the UK was party in the 1980s. These reflect tensions between pragmatism and idealism, and in conclusion, the paper discusses what the case of Hong Kong says more broadly about the making of British foreign policy.

The external affairs of the Hong Kong SAR: UK-Hong Kong economic relations

“…It is therefore not just Hong Kong politics or the desire for more “trade with China” which drives British policy toward Hong Kong. While political developments in Hong Kong have generated greater tensions between the UK and Hong Kong over political issues over recent years (Summers 2016a), especially around the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry of late 2014, this does not appear to have lessened the UK government’s growing focus on developing economic ties with Hong Kong. This paper has not engaged in further discussion of the political aspects of the UK-Hong Kong relationship, but it has shown that when it comes to economic and commercial ties, the relationship is managed autonomously, as seen in the bilateral government exchanges and agreements reached.…”

“…The primary ongoing manifestation of the UK’s commitment has been the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) submission of six-monthly reports on developments in Hong Kong to the British Parliament. The reports in this series have focused mainly on political and constitutional developments, and serve as a good historical record of the UK government’s position on these issues, demonstrating the tensions at work in the making of UK policy toward Hong Kong (Summers, 2016a).…”

“…Given the motivation for the reports, the bulk of their content is taken up with discussion of constitutional and political issues, revealing conflicting elements in the making of British policy on Hong Kong (Summers, 2016a). But throughout the series, the reports have contained a section, usually at the end, on “UK-Hong Kong bilateral relations.” These sections have consistently accounted for between 10 and 20 percent of the length of each report (though this should not be interpreted as reflecting a marginal role for bilateral relations between the UK and Hong Kong in the work of the FCO).…”

“…Given the Occupy movement in late 2014 and the controversial debates over political reform, these visits were politically sensitive, and neither the Chief Executive nor Chief Secretary agreed to meet then FCO Minister of State Hugo Swire when he visited in January 2015 ( Daily Telegraph , 2015). It is also worth noting that ministerial visits continued during the period of a “freeze” in ministerial visits between the UK and China from mid-2012 to December 2013, demonstrating a degree of autonomy of UK-Hong Kong ties from the UK’s relationship with China (Summers, 2016a, p. 19).…”

Hong Kong in the world: continuities and changes

“…As London and Brussels negotiate over the terms of Brexit, the SAR Government is reported to "have been actively reaching out to the UK's business community to introduce the opportunities Hong Kong could offer if they wish to set foot or expand their operations in Asia to diversify their business interest after Brexit" (Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government, 2017). Elsewhere, Summers (2016) has discussed the tensions between idealism and pragmatism in London's attitudes toward Hong Kong when the conditions have become less auspicious in recent years. On the one hand, as a co-signatory of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the UK has, on numerous occasions, reiterated its long-standing commitment to Hong Kong's continued prosperity and success under "One Country, Two Systems."…”