Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law

by Michael C. Davis

How can one of the world’s most free-wheeling cities transition from a vibrant global center of culture and finance into a subject of authoritarian control? As Beijing's anxious interference has grown, the “one country, two systems” model China promised Hong Kong has slowly drained away in the years since the 1997 handover. As “one country” seemed set to gobble up “two systems," the people of Hong Kong riveted the world’s attention in 2019 by defiantly demanding the autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms they were promised. In 2020, the new National Security Law imposed by Beijing aimed to snuff out such resistance. Will the Hong Kong so deeply held in the people’s identity and the world’s imagination be lost? Professor Michael Davis, who has taught human rights and constitutional law in this city for over three decades, and has been one of its closest observers, takes us on this constitutional journey.

Genres: China

168 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2020

Reviews

[Charuka Marasinghe · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who doesn’t know anything I feel qualified to review this. I agree with this guys takes on everything about the police brutality during the 2019 protests. I can also agree with his take on wanting democratic reform. I think all countries require democratic reform - but the reform being proposed makes it seem like liberal democracy is the best there is where people have the illusion of choice.

Anyways this book is way too biased towards being anti-China without giving a context as to why Beijing is doing what it’s doing.

I don’t agree with how Beijing has handled the Hong Kong protests and how people’s freedoms were imposed with the national security law, but I feel there is way too much context missing here that paints a full story.

Bro is coming from a place of good intentions though.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...sometimes resistance, drip by drip, is the only path we each have to bring about change individually and collectively."

[linus 🪷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️