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(Victoria) Island.13
The major change brought about by the Japanese occupation was, therefore, that the obsolete pre-war race and status barriers were largely abandoned within
ruling class; business groups, whether European or Chinese, became relatively more powerful; and a new, more homogeneous and rational group, less tied to London, emerged. This group is basically still in control today.
The Administration of Hong Kong
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According to local legend, Hong Kong is "run by the Jockey Club, the Hong Kong Bank, Jardines and the Governor - in that order?". This is probably more or less correct; certainly the local business community has more power than the Governor. But since Hong Kong is "constitutionally” a colony of Britain, the colonial administrative system will be briefly outlined.
John Rear has summed up the situation well:
"Hong Kong is not a democracy. Power, both administrative and executive, is in the hands of civil servants who are in law primarily responsible, through the Governor, to the United Kingdom. The people of Hong Kong can neither appoint these public servants to office nor remove them. The members of the community who sit on the Executive and Legislative Councils do so by virtue of appointment by the Crown and not as a result of popular elections. These 'unofficial members'... do not and cannot in law determine policy. The constitution permits the Governor to ignore the advice of his Executive Coun- cil, while his casting vote as President of the Legislative Council means that no official Government measure may be voted down in that assembly”.
The formal administration of the colony is headed by British officials. At the top is the Governor, currently Sir Murray Mac Lehose, a Scot (like much of the
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Government Secrecy
In Hong Kong the Government does not reveal:
Figures for Gross National Product
Figures for National Income
The size of the electorate for the Urban Council
The number of mentally ill
How much of the budget surplus is transferred to London to prop up
the pound
How many people in Hong Kong are British citizens, and therefore entitled to British passports and the right to emigrate to the U.K.
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