July 04, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer people in Hong Kong are expressing confidence in the local administration while more are finding Beijing’s central government trustworthy, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. 61.9 per cent of respondents trust the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, down 4.4 points since February.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer people in Hong Kong are expressing confidence in the local administration while more are finding Beijing’s central government trustworthy, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. 61.9 per cent of respondents trust the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, down 4.4 points since February.

Additionally, 57.7 per cent of respondents trust China’s central government in Beijing, up 5.7 points in four months.

In June 2005, Donald Tsang was elected unopposed by an 800-member committee to serve as Hong Kong’s chief executive for two years. Tsang had substituted Tung Chee-hwa on an interim basis. In March 2007, Tsang won a full four-year term as chief executive, defeating Alan Leong with 649 votes to 123.

China took control of Hong Kong from Britain in July 1997. As part of the "one country, two systems" arrangement proposed by Deng Xiaoping, China must allow Hong Kong to be sovereign in all matters—except national security and foreign affairs—until 2047.

Hong Kong’s Basic Law sets no specific timetable for a democratically elected government. In September 2004, Hong Kong’s 3.2 million registered voters chose 30 members to the 60-seat Legislative Council. The representatives monitor the performance of the government, and play a role in enacting laws, as well as examining and approving budgets. The next election is scheduled for Sept. 7.

In December 2007, the Chinese government decided that the people of Hong Kong will not be able to directly elect the territory’s chief executive until 2017, and the entire Legislative Council until 2020. Democratic movements in Hong Kong—who had proposed to have direct elections by 2012—protested against Beijing’s ruling.

On Jun. 30, the Hong Kong government announced that a group of 20 lawmakers will visit the epicentre of a major earthquake that killed close to 70,000 people in China’s Sichuan province in May. Hong Kong donated millions of dollars in the aftermath of the disaster. Tsang said the legislators will assess how the administration can continue to help with reconstruction efforts and also "participate in infrastructure work" by building bridges and other major projects.

Polling Data

On the whole, do you trust the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government?

	Jun. 2008	Feb. 2008	Dec. 2007
Trust	61.9%	66.3%	50.8%
Half-and-half	24.4%	26.2%	32.0%
Distrust	12.3%	5.4%	14.5%

On the whole, do you trust the Beijing Central government?

	Jun. 2008	Feb. 2008	Dec. 2007
Trust	57.7%	52.0%	48.6%
Half-and-half	25.7%	28.6%	27.7%
Distrust	12.2%	14.6%	19.2%

Source: Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme
Methodology: Interviews with 1,003 Hong Kong residents, conducted from Jun. 18 to Jun. 20, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.