S&C - 5 - Political Landscape B, Hong Kong & Macau & Taiwan

HK geography

• 1098 km2

• 7.5 mill

• Hong Kong Island + Kowloon + New Territories + some extra islands

HK Pol System

• colony:

  • Governor appointed by British Crown

• In 1997 Beijing did not allow direct elections

• Now

  • LegCO → first 60 seat election in 1991

    • 90 seats

      • 20 Seats → Elected through geographical constituencies

        • 4.4 mil votes

      • 30 Seats → Elected through Functional Constituencies

        • Professional Sectors

          • example: Teacher vote for education sector

        • voted by individual voters

          • usually pro beijing

      • 40 Seats → Elected through election committee constituencies

        • pro beijing committees

          • 1,448 voters

    • Today 100% of seats belong to pro beijing camp

      • even they are complaining about beijing because the legCo is useless

    • Only 22% of LegCo is direct elections

Hong Kong Protests

• 2003:

  • Successful mass protest against article 23 anti treason law

• 2014:

  • Umbrella movement

    • Reaction to refusal direct elections LegCo

    • student protest

• 2015

  • Hong Kong Independence Party

    • Banned in 2018

• 2019

  • Increased tension Extradition Bill

• 2020

  • national security law

• Outflow of Hong Kong residents

• 2024: article 23 passed

Executive power Hong Kong

• Executive Council

  • 21 official members

    • ministers

    • few have party affiliation

    • de facto pro beijing

  • 16 non-official members

    • Few have political party affiliation

Macao Geo

• Macao Peninsula + Taipa and Caloane

• 710 000

Macao Pol

• Even weaker democratic foundation than Hong Kong

• No parties

  • only Civic Associations

Macau Legislative Power

• Legislative power

  • 33 members

    • 14 direct elected

    • 12 functional constituencies

    • 7 appointed by chief executive

  • 3 members are pro democracy

    • Truly outside of united front influence

  • 30 members pro beijing

Macau Executive Power

• Executive Power

  • Chief Executive

    • Advisory Committee

      • 10 members

        • 5 indirect elected

        • 5 appointed by chief executive

ROC Geo

• Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and smaller islands

• 23.2 mill

ROC administrative divisions

• 6 special municipalities

• 3 provincial cities

• Counties

Government history ROC

• based on ROC constitution 47’ and still follows ROC institutions

• 1947: First election

• 1949:

  • Martial Law

• 1950:

  • Taiwan Garrison Commando

    • Control martial law

      • Expanded powers in 1970

• 1975:

  • Transition of power to Vice President Yen Chia-Kan but actual power is for son Chiang Ching Kuo

• 1979:

  • World recognizes PRC as China

• 1987:

  • Lifting Martial Law and free elections

• 1990’s

  • Democratization

    • 1991 → SECOND election

• 2000:

  • KMT loses power to DPP

Taiwanization

• under Chiang Ching kuo

  • Followed by Lee Teng Hui

• Focus on Local people

• less retake the mainland

Taiwan Presidents

• Lee Teng Hui 1990 - 2000

  • National Assembly elected him in 1990 but direct elections in 1996

• Chen Shui Bian DPP 2000 - 2008

• Ma Ying Jeou KMT 2008 - 2016

• Tsai Ing-Wen DPP 2016 - 2024

• Lai Ching Te DPP 2024 - …

Sunflower Movement

• 2014

• Against closer ties to PRC

New Southbound Policy

• Less PRC cooperation

• Looking at SE Asia

• By Tsai Ing Wen

National Assembly

• First elected in 1947 and reinstalled in 1949

• Second election in 1991

  • Do not confuse with Legislative Yuan = Parliament they had elections in 1992

• Since 1994 transfer of duties to Legislative Yuan

• Abolished in 2005