The China-Hong Kong Connection

Book excerpt: This book is a scholarly yet highly readable account of the "middleman" role that Hong Kong has played in China's Open Door Policy. Dr. Sung develops a "Theory of Intermediation" to explain the paradoxical situation by which Hong Kong's role as intermediary in China's commodity trade is becoming more prominent in spite of the fact that since the development of the Open Door Policy in 1979, China has established many direct diplomatic, commercial and transportation links with the outside world. The book makes an important contribution to understanding China's various phases of economic reform and its interactions with global economic markets. Dr. Sung predicts that China's demands on Hong Kong's capacity as intermediary will increase dramatically after the handover in 1997.