Police powers and accountability in China and Hong Kong: a comparative perspective

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study police powers and accountability from a comparative perspective in both China and Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach - This paper compares and contrasts police powers and accountability. Findings - The implications are many, including different political systems in which China is more authoritarian or paternalistic whereas Hong Kong is more pluralistic; checks and balances mechanisms in Hong Kong are far greater than in China; and the concept of accountability to the public is different in that Hong Kong police are accountable to members of the public but the mainland Chinese police force has a limited and top-down concept of accountability. Originality/value - An original comparative approach to policing in Hong Kong and China.