Globalization, bureaucracy, and administrative reform in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has gone through remarkable changes over the past four decades, first as a British colony and then as an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. The exceptional performance of the Hong Kong economy was the first to catch the attention of scholars and observers across the world. Economic prosperity was a major catalyst in the formulation and implementation of a wide range of reforms in social policy. However, in the absence of an effective political authority, leadership was provided by the bureaucracy, which was acknowledged to be one of the key driving forces behind the success of Hong Kong in the late 20th century. Thus, by default, the bureaucracy has been a key institution in responding to the challenge of reforming the administrative system for integration with the globalized world.