The end of a corruption‑free era? The story of Hong Kong

Unlike China and other Asian economies, Hong Kong has long had the reputation of one of the most corruption-free territories in the world. It ranks the 16th among 198 countries according to the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International, 2020). It is widely believed that this success has been largely owed to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The ICAC was set up in 1974 to tackle corruption, marking a milestone in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption history. Before its establishment, corruption had been rampant in the public sector. For example, controlling assets of over HKD4.3 million, Peter Godber, a Chief Police Superintendent, was arrested in the same year of establishment of the ICAC.

However, following the handover of sovereignty in 1997, the level of corruption in Hong Kong has been perceived as worsening by the general public, according to the data from the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong. This trend coincided with the jailing, owing to corruption, of several former senior government officials, including former Chief Executive, Donald Tsang and former Chief Secretary, Rafael Hui. This article seeks to discuss how the establishment of the ICAC, together with the enactment of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, in the 1970s has enabled Hong Kong to control corruption effectively. Furthermore, the article concerns whether this institutional advantage of Hong Kong, inherited from its colonial past, may have faded away in the decades after the handover in 1997.