China, Hong Kong and Taiwan—all societies rooted in Chinese
culture—have developed very different ways of selecting their
leaders and taking part in public affairs. The distinctions are
highlighted as China undergoes its once-a-decade transition to a
new slate of Communist Party leaders in Beijing this month.
Despite China's dramatic transformation into an economic
superpower, the authoritarian legacy of communist founder Mao
Zedong continues to weigh heavily on the country's politics,
leaving the vast majority of the population with little voice or
knowledge of how their leaders are chosen. The process remains
steeped in secrecy and backroom dealings. China's territory of
Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy, freedom of the press
and limited democracy, but its politics remains highly
constrained by Beijing's wariness over threats to its authority.
The former British colony now directly elects half of its 60
legislators, but the head of the regional government is still
elected by a special body limited to