Church-state relations in Hong Kong and Macau : from colonial rule to Chinese rule

This article chronicles the different paths of development taken by the Hong Kong and Macau branches of the Catholic church since the postwar era. The former became a full partner with the old colonial government in its bid to build Hong Kong into a world-class financial centre, while the latter remains subservient to the pro-China element. Both, however, face difficult challenges as the colonies they inhabit revert to Chinese rule, and nowhere more so than in formulating church policy on education. Using the example of education policy, this article will demonstrate that the principle task facing the Hong Kong and Macau churches during the transition period will be to maintain their independence as civil organizations while forming stable partnerships with a Communist regime traditionally hostile to religion.