UNCERTAINTY, ACCULTURATION, AND CORRUPTION IN HONG KONG

Abstract

This article assesses how the integration of Hong Kong with China affects the problem of corruption in Hong Kong. In addition to the increased opportunities for corruption due to the growing presence of Chinese investments in Hong Kong and the incessant social and economic interaction between the two regions, this article focuses on the impact of uncertainty and acculturation arising from this integration. Moral control of corruption is hampered as people feel uncertain about their future and succumb to the temptation to earn quick money. Hong Kong businessmen have also been involved in the process of acculturation, i.e., adapting to the corrupt business culture on the Mainland. The power of the ICAC, as the major means of external control of corruption, has also been questioned due to human rights concerns caused by political uncertainty. This article argues that reconstituting the legitimacy of the government and resolving the uncertainty clouding the community will be a necessary step to strengthen popular confidence in the new government and its anticorruption endeavors.

Acknowledgments