One country, two systems: contrasting approaches to telecommunications deregulation in Hong Kong and China

Telecommunications deregulation strategies have been self-evidently different in Hong Kong and China due to differences existing in political and economic systems. This paper will provide an overview of contemporary trends in telecommunications deregulation in these two territories. Comparisons will be drawn between the two systems with regard to ownership, foreign direct investment, respective regulatory frameworks and the government's perseverance in propelling deregulation. The study clearly indicates that the shared goal of deregulation can be reached at different rates by different routes ('policy paths') dependent on situational contingencies. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved