City on the Edge: Hong Kong Under Chinese Rule

In this meticulous and informative study, Johns Hopkins sociologist Hung (The China Boom) examines the “historical origins” of the 2019 uprising against Chinese rule in his native Hong Kong. Tracing Hong Kong’s development from its founding as a village of fishermen in the 12th century to the present day, Hung contends that the city has never been politically neutral. He claims that the “One Country Two Systems” policy implemented after the 1997 handover from Great Britain was “a repetition of Beijing’s strategy to absorb Tibet in the 1950s,” and explains how an influx of mainland Chinese immigrants to both regions gave rise to protest movements and crackdowns. Hung also delves into Hong Kong’s value to China as an economic engine and “contact zone” with the West, documents divisions between the city’s reform-minded lower and middle classes and its conservative business elite, and examines political movements that preceded the 2019 uprising, including campaigns for universal suffrage and labor rights in the late 1990s and the 2014 Occupy protests. Though Hung’s deep dives into political and economic matters might be too dense for lay readers, he provides valuable context for understanding the situation in Hong Kong. The result is an illuminating look at an issue of grave geopolitical import. (May)