Freedom Undone: The Assault on Liberal Values and Institutions in Hong Kong

The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia invites Harvard ID holders to a book talk with author Michael C. Davis and discussant Dennis Kwok to talk about Davis’s latest piece — Freedom Undone: The Assault on Liberal Values and Institutions in Hong Kong. This event is co-sponsored by the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Abstract: What happens when liberal constitutional institutions guaranteeing basic freedoms are undone? Can Freedom survive the loss of separation of powers with the associated legal and political accountability? The Chinese Communist Party, as a core part of its national security agenda, has been at the forefront in its disdain for liberal institutions and promoting illiberal alternatives. This disdain placed Hong Kong’s people on the frontlines of the global struggle for freedom. Since its handover from Britain, the city has felt the brunt of China’s illiberal agenda. In 2019 this took on greater intensity with an aggressive police crackdown on protesters, quickly followed in 2020 by Beijing’s imposition of a National Security Law, in 2021 by the imposition of a patriots only electoral system and in 2024 by enactment of local national security legislation. Thousands have been jailed and a city famous for vigorous protests has been silenced. Professor Michael C. Davis, who taught human rights in the city for decades, takes us on the constitutional journey of both the city’s vigorous defense of freedom and its repressive undoing—a painful loss for Hong Kong and a lesson for the world. Discussion can be expected to engage the still ongoing crisis in Hong Kong and the implications of the wider liberal/illiberal debate.