(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has lost a significant amount of public support over the past two months, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. 45.2 per cent of respondents trust the administration, down 16.7 points since June.

Confidence in Beijing’s central government also fell, from 57.7 per cent in June to 49.4 per cent in August.

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. A new election will take place today.

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 Sept. 2, Tsang acknowledged that Hong Kong residents are suffering from rising inflation, saying, "The trend for worsening inflation will continue. (...) We haven’t seen inflation as high as the current level in the past. This situation will remain at least until the autumn of next year.’’

Polling Data

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

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

Source: Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme
Methodology: Interviews with 1,065 Hong Kong residents, conducted on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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