One Country, Two Systems: Hong Kong Conference at Yale

How is Hong Kong meeting the challenge of merging with China while retaining its economic identity? The Hong Kong Club, an undergraduate organization at Yale, will host a two-day conference to examine the current and future status of Hong Kong. “One Country, Two Systems: The Hong Kong Conference at Yale University” will take place on Friday, Nov. 7, 1-5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in Luce Hall Auditorium, 34 Hillhouse Ave. All sessions are free and open to the public.

The Hong Kong Conference at Yale is sponsored by the Council on East Asian Studies, Yale Law School, Asia Law Forum, and the Yale-China Association. Participants will come from all over the United States and China.

The conference will open on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. with remarks by Jonathan Spence, the Sterling Professor of History at Yale. Following his talk, panels will convene to discuss Hong Kong’s laws, political processes, mass media and economic direction.

* Nov. 7, 1:30 p.m., Law in Post-handover Hong Kong–Constitutional and Political Implications

How will “One Country, Two Systems” be implemented within the framework of the Basic Law and the existing legal institutions? Panelists include Owen Fiss, Sterling Professor of Law at Yale; and Margaret Ng, barrister; journalist, author and former Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and Bar Council.

* Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m., The Role of the Media–Public Information and Civic Society

How can the media help maintain a critical and informed public? How serious a problem is self-censorship? Panelists include Robert Chung, senator, the University of Hong Kong and member of the Television Programme Advisory Panel for Radio Television Hong Kong; and Ying Chan, fellow of the Media Studies Center, New York, and visiting scholar, East Asia Institute, Columbia University. Ms. Chan is 1997 Recipient of the International Press Freedom Award presented by the Committee to Protect Journalists. A reception follows this panel.

* Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m., Perspectives in Politics–Local, National and Global

In what ways will the legislature be changed by new electoral rules? How will Hong Kong’s politicians address the priorities of the Chinese sovereign state as well as the expectations of the international community? Panelists include Pamela Crossley, professor of history, Dartmouth College; Allen Lee, chair of the Liberal Party, Hong Kong and member of the Provisional Legislative Council; and Tsang Yok Sing, chair of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong and member of the Provisional Legislative Council.

* Nov. 8, 2 p.m., Hong Kong’s Economic Challenges–Home and Abroad

How will Hong Kong maintain the institutional factors that have fueled its economic miracle? What are the strengths and problems? Panelists include Margaret Fong, deputy director-general of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C.; Mark Mason, associate professor of management, Yale School of Management; Richard Wong, director of the School of Business at the University of Hong Kong, director of the Hong Kong Center for Economic Research and member of the Hong Kong government’s Economic Advisory Committee.

Gustav Ranis, the Frank Altschul Professor of International Economics and director of Yale Center for International and Area Studies, will offer closing observations on Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

For further information and to arrange to interview any of the participants, please contact Rose Choy at 203/436-1398 or by e-mail at rose.choy@yale.edu or Janet Pau at 203/436-3337 or janet.pau@yale.edu or Marco Wan at 203/436-0437 or marco.wan@yale.edu. The conference website is http://www.yale.edu/hkclub