Beyond Reversion: Hong Kong in the Year of Transition

Here in Hong Kong, Special Administration Region of the People’s Republic of China, reaction to the country’s reversion to China last July has been subdued. The brilliant pomp and ceremony have been overshadowed by more sobering events - record annual rainfall, a dramatic slump in tourism and retail sales, bird flu and stock-market meltdowns. The People’s Liberation Army troops are practically invisible, reflecting the Chinese mainland’s low-profile approach to the resumption of sovereign responsibility for Hong Kong. Press coverage of events in China and the SAR continues to be open, and even critical; most journalists are surprised at the government’s restraint, but cautious about the future. And, according to a recent survey, 51 percent of the Hong Kong populace are satisfied with the provisional government