Hong Kong Professional Services and the Belt and Road Initiative

Book excerpt: This book scrutinizes the role of Hong Kong in the expansive, and contested, vision of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In two main parts, it first discusses the defining features of the BRI and the evolving expectations of the role of Hong Kong in the BRI from the perspectives of policy makers and the professional sectors of accountancy-finance and the law. The second part contemplates the potential opportunities for Hong Kong from the perspectives of recipient countries-Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Utilizing an action research approach and engaging the views of a broad spectrum of actors, the authors observe the critical role of agency and innovations in a context of institutional contradictions, the impact of BRI governance structure for the deficits in international participation, gaps between grand state visions and commercial interests, and the salience of effective communication in navigating complex policy initiatives. Taking these together unpacks the complex processes shaping Hong Kong’s participation and role in the BRI. This book will appeal to students and researchers interested in the BRI and Hong Kong, in the contexts of institutional contradictions, agency innovations, and political dynamics, as well as sustainable development.