Abstract

This article is a study of the political process and developmental perspectives for the professionalization of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong (HK) after its handover to China in 1997. Political process approach and developmentalism are used as tools of analysis. It is suggested that the influence of the Chinese sovereignty, forces of integration between HK and China, developmental mindset of the government, all provided opportunities for local CM supporters to professionalize CM development. The political process perspective was used by Chiu et.al. (2005) to explain the institutionalization of CM in HK between the late 1980s and 1990s. Supplemented with developmental approach, the study will illustrate the changing political landscape of the HKSAR and explains how local CM supporters maintain the momentum to lead CM to a higher level of development in the post-handover period.