Contrived Laissez-Faireism : The Politico-Economic Structure of British Colonialism in Hong Kong

This book analyses neo-liberal economic policy in Hong Kong and its relationship to British colonial governance. Using historical, political, and economic examples, the author argues that the growth and stability experienced by Hong Kong in the post-WWII/pre-1997 era was a direct result of policies enacted by the British in an effort to maintain colonial dominance in an era of decolonization rather than the independent workings of the free market. The book works through examples of policies employed by the British in Hong Kong, such as the creation of artificial scarcity in colonial land policy, the construction of large-scale public housing and the Mass Transit Railway System, and education policy that favored competition. Challenging long-accepted narratives, this book draws a direct line between market fundamentalism and direct colonial control. As such, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of economics, political science, history, and those studying the Asia-Pacific region.-- Provided by publisher Annotation This book analyses neo-liberal economic policy in Hong Kong and its relationship to British colonial governance. Using historical, political, and economic examples, the author argues that the growth and stability experienced by Hong Kong in the post-WWII/pre-1997 era was a direct result of policies enacted by the British in an effort to maintain colonial dominance in an era of decolonization rather than the independent workings of the free market. The book works through examples of policies employed by the British in Hong Kong, such as the creation of artificial scarcity in colonial land policy, the construction of large-scale public housing and the Mass Transit Railway System, and education policy that favored competition. Challenging long-accepted narratives, this book draws a direct line between market fundamentalism and direct colonial control. As such, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of economics, political science, history, and those studying the Asia-Pacific region Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi British Colonialism and the ‘Contrived Laissez-faireism’ in Hong Kong (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 1-32 Subsumption of Hong Kong Space into the British Colonial Apparatus (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 33-64 ‘Illegal’ Immigration from Mainland China and Regulation of the Local Labour Market (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 65-103 Capital Accumulation, Ethnicity and Production of Space in the Squatter Problem (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 105-132 Industrialisation and Space in the Development of Kwun Tong Industrial Area (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 133-161 The Colonialism Behind the Making of the Urban Rapid Railway System (MTR) (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 163-210 Production of Colonial Consciousness Among Middle-Class Chinese: Legitimisation of British Rule Through Education (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 211-252 Conclusion (Fujio Mizuoka)....Pages 253-257 Back Matter ....Pages 259-263