Modernisation of Hong Kong (I): Political and Social Development

§Text Passage

1Summary 重點摘要

From its founding in 1842 to the 1997 handover, Hong Kong moved from a governor-dominated colonial system through post-war social reform to representative government — knowing each stage's years and features is the basis of understanding Hong Kong's modernisation.

2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary

3Step by step Steps

1. Step 1: The founding and the colonial systemThe three treaties set Hong Kong's boundaries: the Treaty of Nanking (1842) ceded Hong Kong Island, the Convention of Peking (1860) ceded the southern tip of Kowloon, and the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory (1898) leased the New Territories for 99 years. The Governor, appointed by the British Crown, held executive and legislative power; the Executive Council was the policy core, while the Legislative Council, set up in 1843, was long dominated by official members. For example, for the first three decades its members were almost all officials, and it was not until 1880 that Wu Tingfang became the first Chinese unofficial member — early Chinese participation was minimal.
2. Step 2: Early municipal participation before the warFrom the late nineteenth century the government set up the Sanitary Board (1883) to handle water, cleansing and other municipal matters; reorganised as the Urban Council in 1936 with some elected seats, it became the first local body with an elective element. In 1946 Governor Young proposed a constitutional reform creating a municipal council with elected members — the Young Plan — but it was shelved as the political situation changed. For example, early Urban Council voters were only a small qualified group, and the franchise widened only after the war, showing municipal participation moving from narrow to open.
3. Step 3: The Japanese occupation and liberationJapanese forces attacked on 8 December 1941 and Governor Young surrendered on 25 December, beginning three years and eight months of Japanese occupation. Food was scarce, inflation raged and many residents were forced back to the mainland; the population fell from about 1.6 million to about 600,000 by 1945. Japan announced its surrender on 15 August 1945 and Britain soon resumed control. For example, the occupation authorities forced residents to exchange currency for military yen, and post-war compensation claims went unresolved for decades — a painful page of Hong Kong history that also shows how hard the reconstruction was.
4. Step 4: Post-war population surge and public housingPolitical turmoil on the mainland after 1945 drove waves of migrants south; within a decade the population rose from about 600,000 to over 2 million, and hillside squatter huts were desperately crowded. The Shek Kip Mei squatter fire on Christmas Eve 1953 left about 53,000 homeless; the government hastily built resettlement blocks and public housing policy took shape. For example, from the 1960s schools and community facilities were added to resettlement estates, and in 1972 the Ten-Year Housing Programme was announced, aiming to house about 1.8 million people — housing policy moved from emergency relief to long-term planning.
5. Step 5: Social reforms of the 1970sSocial tensions accumulated in the late 1960s, and the government afterwards greatly expanded social services: in education, six-year free primary schooling from 1971, extended to nine years in 1978; in integrity, the Independent Commission Against Corruption founded in 1974 sharply curbed corruption and improved civil service conduct; in labour welfare, statutory paid holidays and worker protection increased step by step. For example, the ICAC's early investigations into major corruption cases raised public trust in public institutions, and these reforms markedly strengthened the legitimacy of the colonial government.
6. Step 6: The development of representative governmentIn the 1980s the government developed representative government systematically: in 1982 District Boards were set up across 18 districts with their first elections and mostly elected seats; the Green Paper on the Further Development of Representative Government appeared in 1984; in 1985 the Legislative Council introduced indirect elections through functional constituencies and an electoral college; and in 1991 some seats were returned by direct election in geographical constituencies. For example, LegCo members went from all-appointed to all-elected in 1995 — the expansion of political participation was concentrated in the 1980s.
7. Step 7: The future negotiations and the handoverFrom 1982 Britain and China negotiated Hong Kong's future; the Sino-British Joint Declaration of December 1984 confirmed China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, keeping Hong Kong's original capitalist system and way of life under 'One Country, Two Systems'. The NPC adopted the Basic Law in April 1990, setting out the constitutional arrangements after the handover; on 1 July 1997 the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established with a Chief Executive and a Legislative Council. For example, the Basic Law's ultimate aim of electing the Chief Executive and the whole LegCo by universal suffrage continues the logic of representative development.

4Diagrams Diagrams

5Worked example Example

6Common mistakes Mistakes

7Quick check Quick check

8Recap Recap

• Three treaties set the territory: 1842 Hong Kong Island, 1860 southern Kowloon, 1898 the New Territories for 99 years
• The colonial system was executive-led: the Governor held power with the two Councils advising; early Chinese participation was limited
• The occupation lasted three years and eight months (Dec 1941 – Aug 1945); post-war population surged from about 600,000 to over 2 million
• The 1953 Shek Kip Mei fire established public housing; 1970s reforms (free education, the ICAC) expanded government functions
• Three milestones of representative government: 1982 District Boards, 1985 indirect elections, 1991 direct elections; 1997 opened a new era