ABSTRACT
The dynamics of state–business relations in Hong Kong have undergone fundamental changes in the post-1997 period. Unlike the British colonial period, when the relationship between the colonial state and the business sector was largely amicable and mutually supportive (Chiu, 1994), since the handover of sovereignty it is not uncommon for the business sector to openly challenge and oppose the policy agenda of the HKSAR Chief Executive. Nowadays the business elites have dared to show their political muscle in order to exert their influences and control over the decision-making process of the post-colonial state. The partnership between the post-colonial state and its business allies has become increasingly uneasy, if not confrontational, after 1997. What are the structural factors that have contributed to such a drastic change in the dynamics of state–business relations after 1997? The institutionalization of business power under the HKSAR political systems, including the Chief Executive Election Committees and functional constituency seats in the Legislative Council, should be one of the important answers to this question.
