Transformation of a boundary regime: the Hong Kong and Mainland China case

Since 1997 the border between Hong Kong and Mainland China has been officially referred to as a boundary, instead of a border. In this paper the author analyses to what extent actual changes in cross-border interactions support this notional change. It points to an ongoing step-by-step integration process on the functional level. The main empirical basis of this analysis is a survey on cross-border trips in 1999, supplemented by additional data. In looking at the changing boundary regime between Hong Kong and Mainland China the author also develops a framework for the study of border regimes and their transformation in general.