China’s New United Front Work in Hong Kong: Penetrative Politics and its Implications

This talk is based on a new book authored by Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo, Steven Hung, and Jeff Loo. The book, entitled China’s New United Front Work in Hong Kong: penetrative politics and its implications, explores the dynamics of China’s new united front work in Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese penetrative politics can be seen in the activities of local pro-Beijing political parties, clans and neighborhood associations, labour unions, women and media organizations, district federations, and some religious groups. However, united front work in the educational and youth sectors of civil society has encountered strong resistance because many Hong Kong people are post-materialistic and uphold their core values of human rights, the rule of law and transparency. China’s new united front work in Hong Kong has been influenced by its domestic turn toward “hard” authoritarianism, making Beijing see Hong Kong’s democratic activists and radicals as political enemies. Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” is drifting toward “one country, two mixed systems” with some degree of convergence. Yet, Taiwan and some foreign countries have seen China’s united front work as politically destabilizing and penetrative.
Sonny Lo is Professor of Politics at the School of Continuing and Professional Education, University of Hong Kong (HKU SPACE). He received his Bachelor degree (Specialized Honors) in political science at York University, Master degree in political science from the University of Waterloo and PhD in political science at University of Toronto. Before joining HKU SPACE in December 2016, he taught at the Education University of Hong Kong, University of Waterloo, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Murdoch University, Hong Kong Lingnan College and the University of East Asia, Macau. He is the author of eleven single-authored books, including The Politics of Policing in Greater China (Palgrave 2016), The Politics of Controlling Organized Crime in Greater China (Routledge 2015), Hong Kong’s Indigenous Democracy (Palgrave 2015), The Politics of Crisis Management in China: The Sichuan Earthquake (Lexington 2014), Competing Chinese Political Visions (Praeger 2010), The Politics of Cross-Border Crime in Greater China (M. E. Sharpe 2009), The Dynamics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations (Hong Kong University Press 2008), Political Change in Macao (Routledge 2008 and First Class Prize from the Macau Foundation 2009), Governing Hong Kong (Nova Science 2001), The Politics of Democratization in Hong Kong (Macmillan 1997), and Political Development in Macau (Chinese University Press 1995).
Lunch will be provided. Please send any dietary restrictions to ycar@yorku.ca by 15 August 2019.