Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China

Encompassing a natural deep water harbour and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, Hong Kong has a long history as an international trading hub. A British colony for over a century, China regained sovereignty in 1997 but the semi-autonomous region still maintains significant legal and political independence, as well as preserving the very high levels of economic freedom that drove its rapid growth. While Hong Kong’s “Basic Law” enshrines theoretically strong levels of protection for civil rights, concerns about abuses of the public order ordinance to suppress open dissent, the strong powers and limited accountability of the police and the use of heavy handed tactics against labour organisers remain.