Whither China? The rise of the “Middle Kingdom” (zhongguo)has scholars seeking to discover what path lays ahead for China’s society and politics. The rapid changes China has undergone in the last half century—from a centrally-planned economy to barely-checked free market capitalism—have eliminated much of the ideological certainty that characterized the Mao era. As complex social and political forces unfold, such as the decentralization of power, development of a middle class, an ethnically diverse population, will China move towards liberalization?

Hong Kong, a former British territory now belonging to China as an autonomous, “Special Administrative Region,” is going through a period of transition that brings many of these issues to the forefront. I was lucky enough to be studying in Hong Kong on the 10th anniversary of the “handover” to Chinese control, an event which highlighted the tensions pulling. While desiring to maintain cordial relations with Beijing in order to profit off the mainland’s economic growth, its 7 million mostly well-off and highly educated inhabitants are pulling it in the direction of full democracy, much to Beijing’s chagrin.

The Chinese mainland has a very different feel to it. While the unchecked capitalism is equally present, if not even more gaudily displayed, there are numerousreminders and symbols of the ruling communist party. Uniformed guards and crisply dressed officials, almost universally young and bored-looking, dot the landscape like the various epic statues that herald China’s communist past in socialist-realism fashion.

Rob Weiss is a Junior in the Woodrow Wilson School. This past summer he studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 5 weeks, taking courses in Mandarin and Chinese Government and Politics. He is proud to have taken part in the pro-democracy marches on the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese control, which coincided with his time there. He also took the occasion to travel to mainland China, visiting cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing, which he found to markedly contrast with the hyper-modern and internationally-flavored Hong Kong. This coming semester, Rob is enrolled in a task force on U.S. policy towards the rise of China, and hopes his experiences abroad will provide a useful insight into this increasingly crucial topic.