ABSTRACT
Corporatism was the most important strategy of the British colonial government in ruling Hong Kong before July 1, 1997, making the local Chinese communities share the political power of governing the territory. Interest groups played their political roles prominently in Hong Kong’s political history, such as the strike against the French invasion of China in 1884, the support of the Chinese Revolution in 1911 and the participation in the General Strike in 1925. After the Second World War, various interest groups were formed to represent and articulate different interests for the residents of Hong Kong, ranging from business to labor, from teachers to lawyers, and from professionals to fishermen. The colonial authorities, however, found interest groups politically dangerous and they set up a secret committee on pressure groups to conduct surveillance on their activities. Democratization was gradually accepted in society from the 1980s to the 1990s as an inevitable process in dealing with the problem of Hong Kong’s future after 1997. After July 1, 1997, democratization has remained the most important agenda for social and democracy movements in Hong Kong. It has stimulated the political participation of various interest groups.
