ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the leaders of Oriental religions, having developed historical connections with China, have mobilized support to the authorities at critical political moments while the leaders of Christians, having a long tradition of promoting political justice, tend to press both Chinese and Hong Kong governments for democratic reforms and support non-violent strategies. Co-optation is a common governance strategy which exists in all political regimes, ranging from democratic to authoritarian. In recent years, there have been increasing discussions on the notion of ‘elite co-optation’ in the studies of central-peripheral relations. The oriental religion is closely linked with the Chinese tradition of ‘Three Teaching’ of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The formal interaction between Beijing and Hong Kong’s religious sectors can be traced back to the Sino-British negotiations in the 1980s. The religious sectors were further co-opted during the preparatory period in the mid-1990s.
