Two Systems, Two Countries - by Kevin Carrico (Paperback)

About the Book

"As Hong Kong is integrated into the People's Republic of China, ever fewer people in the city identify as Chinese. Two Systems, Two Countries explains why. Two Systems, Two Countries traces the origins of Hong Kong nationalism and introduces readers to its main schools of thought: city-state theory, self-determination, independence, and return-ism. The idea of Hong Kong independence, Carrico shows, is more than just a provocation testing Beijing's red lines: it represents a collective awakening to the failure of One Country Two Systems and the need to transcend obsolete orthodoxies. With a conclusion that examines Hong Kong nationalism's influence on the 2019 protest movement, Two Systems, Two Countries is an engaging and accessible introduction to the tumultuous shifts in Hong Kong politics and identity over the past decade"--

Book Synopsis

As Hong Kong is integrated into the People's Republic of China, ever fewer people in the city identify as Chinese. Two Systems, Two Countries explains why.

Two Systems, Two Countries traces the origins of Hong Kong nationalism and introduces readers to its main schools of thought: city-state theory, self-determination, independence, and returnism. The idea of Hong Kong independence, Kevin Carrico shows, is more than just a provocation testing Beijing's red lines: it represents a collective awakening to the failure of One Country Two Systems and the need to transcend obsolete orthodoxies. With a conclusion that examines Hong Kong nationalism's influence on the 2019 protest movement, Two Systems, Two Countries is an engaging and accessible introduction to the tumultuous shifts in Hong Kong politics and identity over the past decade.

From the Back Cover

"Two Systems, Two Countries is important because it provides a complex, multifaceted analysis of the Hong Kong nationalist movement. Kevin Carrico brings a wealth of new empirical sources, taking seriously different voices in Hong Kong and the mainland's response."--William A. Callahan, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics, and author of Sensible Politics: Visualizing International Relations

"There is a common but glaring misconception in the field of post-colonial studies: the idea that imperialism is a predominantly Western phenomenon. Examining China's increasingly draconian imperialism in Hong Kong, as well as Hongkongese resistance, Two Systems, Two Countries fills an important gap that has separated post-colonial studies from the realities of colonialism today."--Sing Yan Eric Tsui, visiting scholar at Academia Sinica and author of A National History of Hong Kong

"World history shows us that national consciousness in search of liberation from empire, once established, would live on despite the most draconian repression. Carrico's meticulous ethnography of Hong Kong has discovered the latest variants of such consciousness. Lurking underground or roaring out in the open, this consciousness will continue to be an unignorable force shaping the city's future."--Ho-fung Hung, Henry M. and Elizabeth P. Wiesenfeld Professor in Political Economy, Johns Hopkins University

Review Quotes

"In Hong Kong, with its own language, political culture, and history, the limits are harder and steeper, and Carrico's book shows why Beijing has even more reason to be wary of a precipitating event that could expose them."-- "Chinese Studies International"

"One of the most important English-language books written on post-handover Hong Kong. . . .written in a clear and captivating style that makes it attractive far beyond the academic community."-- "The China Quarterly"

"Carrico's goal is to provide 'an introduction to the main schools of Hong Kong nationalism, giving readers the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of independence activists and recognize their intellectual contribution to the study of the politics of Hong Kong and China'. He achieves this and more: his lucid and comprehensive survey is likely to become the pre-eminent account of Hong Kong's nationalist currents."-- "TLS"

About the Author

Kevin Carrico is Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at Monash University. He is author of The Great Han: Race, Nationalism, and Tradition in China Today and translator of Tibet on Fire. He is also a former columnist for Hong Kong's Apple Daily.