ABSTRACT
The symbiotic relationship between the colonial officials and the compradors in many corruption cases is one of the main focuses of this chapter. The government comprador system was relatively short-lived, in part because of their recurrent involvement in malpractice. The compradors supported the establishment and consolidation of the British official institutions and their services in Hong Kong in its formative years. Controlling communication between the colonial officials and local Chinese businessmen enabled the government compradors to increase their authority. Although the government compradors became less significant in Hong Kong society, a small number of government compradors continued to work for colonial institutions in the 1860s and the 1870s. In effect, the colonial government began to draw on external Chinese social organisations, such as Tung Wah Hospital, to bridge the gulf between the Chinese and British communities, instead of directly hiring Chinese intermediaries.
