• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AP",
  "programs": [
    "Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "East Asia",
    "China"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy",
    "Economy",
    "Military"
  ]
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Other

Getting to Democracy in Hong Kong

Recognizing the growing public demand for democratization, the communist leadership of Beijing is prepared to enter a dialogue with Hong Kong democrats. Some in the U.S. Congress want to show solidarity with Hong Kong democrats and toughness toward Beijing by removing beneficial economic treatment that Hong Kong receives. This would be a mistake; better options exist.

Link Copied
By Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)
Published on Aug 15, 2004

Source: Carnegie Endowment

Demonstrations in Hong Kong highlight the ongoing struggle between its citizens and Chinese leaders over the course of democratization there. The United States has substantial economic stakes in Hong Kong, which would be threatened by political crisis. U.S. investment and trade interests depend on preservation of the rule of law in Hong Kong, while Hong Kong also is a bellwether for the political evolution of Greater China, including Taiwan.

Recognizing the growing public demand for democratization, the communist leadership of Beijing is prepared to enter a dialogue with Hong Kong democrats. However, the democrats’ leverage depends on their performance in the September 12 legislative elections. Some in the U.S. Congress want to show solidarity with Hong Kong democrats and toughness toward Beijing by removing beneficial economic treatment that Hong Kong receives. This would be a mistake; better options exist for Americans to help democratization in Hong Kong.

Click on link above for the full text of this Policy Brief.

A limited number of print copies are available.
Request a copy

About the Author
Veron Hung
is an associate in the Carnegie Endowment’s China Program. She received her doctorate from Stanford University and has in-depth experience in Chinese law, and law and politics in the Asia-Pacific region. She is the author of China's WTO Commitment on Independent Judicial Review (Carnegie Paper No. 32).

About the Author

Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)

Former Non-Resident Associate

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Chinese Courts: An Analysis of Recent Patent Judgments

      Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)

  • Paper
    Judicial Reform in China: Lessons from Shanghai

      Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)

Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)
Former Non-Resident Associate
Mei Ying Gechlik (Veron Hung)
Political ReformDemocracyEconomyMilitaryEast AsiaChina

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Is Frustration With Armenia’s Pashinyan Enough to Bring the Pro-Russia Opposition to Power?

    It’s true that many Armenians would vote for anyone just to be rid of Pashinyan, whom they blame for the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the pro-Russia opposition is unlikely to be able to channel that frustration into an electoral victory.

      Mikayel Zolyan

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    After Ilia II: What Will a New Patriarch Mean for Georgia?

    The front-runner to succeed Ilia II, Metropolitan Shio, is prone to harsh anti-Western rhetoric and frequent criticism of “liberal ideologies” that he claims threaten the Georgian state. This raises fears that under his leadership the Georgian Orthodox Church will lose its unifying role and become an instrument of ultraconservative ideology.

      Bashir Kitachaev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Tokayev’s New Constitution Is a Bet on Stability—At Freedom’s Expense

    Kazakhstan’s new constitution is an embodiment of the ruling elite’s fears and a self-serving attempt to preserve the status quo while they still can.

      Serik Beysembaev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Why Are China and Russia Not Rushing to Help Iran?

    Most of Moscow’s military resources are tied up in Ukraine, while Beijing’s foreign policy prioritizes economic ties and avoids direct conflict.   

      • Alexander Gabuev

      Alexander Gabuev, Temur Umarov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    What Does War in the Middle East Mean for Russia–Iran Ties?

    If the regime in Tehran survives, it could be obliged to hand Moscow significant political influence in exchange for supplies of weapons and humanitarian aid.

      Nikita Smagin

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.