New Books in East Asian Studies Christine Loh, "Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong" (Hong Kong UP, 2018)
Mar 1, 2026
Christine Loh, former Hong Kong legislator and founder of Civic Exchange, offers a concise perspective on CCP influence in Hong Kong. She traces early 20th-century leftist activity and Hong Kong’s role as a CCP hub. The conversation covers united front tactics, the shift from covert to overt mainland presence, and changing public opinion across generations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Hong Kong As The CCP's Early Operational Hub
- Hong Kong served as a crucial safe hub for the CCP's early organizing, fundraising, and international contacts before 1949.
- The CCP used front companies like a tea firm and Hong Kong's port status to raise money and coordinate with overseas supporters.
1967 Riots Shattered Local CCP Support
- The 1967 Cultural Revolution spillover in Hong Kong included bombings and leftist-organized unrest that alienated local residents.
- Christine Loh explains the violence destroyed local CCP networks and pushed Hong Kong society toward economic development and away from mainland politics.
Deng's Pragmatism Recast Hong Kong As An Economic Asset
- Deng Xiaoping's pragmatic turn reframed Hong Kong as an economic asset rather than an immediate political target after 1949.
- The CCP developed the one country, two systems idea to recover Hong Kong peacefully while preserving its economic value.
