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Postcolonialism and Regimes of Time: Anniversary Journalism of the Hong Kong Handover in British and Chinese Newspapers, 1998–2020

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2023

Jiange Deng Open the ORCID record for Jiange Deng [Opens in a new window]  and
Zhongxuan Lin Open the ORCID record for Zhongxuan Lin [Opens in a new window]
Jiange Deng
Affiliation:
School of Global Affairs, King's College London, London, UK,
Zhongxuan Lin*
Affiliation:
School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
*
Corresponding author: Zhongxuan Lin; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Temporality is important for understanding Hong Kong's postcolonial status since its handover from Britain to China in 1997. This study examines the mediated regimes of postcolonial temporalities in coverage of five anniversaries of the Hong Kong handover (between 1998 and 2020) in Chinese and British newspapers. In 1998, the Chinese and British press shared a significant consensus regarding the “legitimate continuity” of Hong Kong's colonial legacies; however, this consensus was increasingly undermined by ideological contestations surrounding the city's postcolonial ruptures and differences. The multiple temporal claims that emerged in Chinese and British newspapers were systemized within a proposed framework that combined temporal modes (the “formal structures” of temporal relations) and ideological appraisals (the “general politics” where temporal modes are (il)legitimized and (ab)normalized). The temporal complexity concerning Hong Kong exemplifies the former colony's dilemmatic “in-betweenness” and temporal inconclusiveness, which create an open discursive space that invites ideological investments by powerful symbolic stakeholders.

摘要

摘要

时间性是理解年香港九七回归以来后殖民地位的关键。本研究比较分析了中英两国媒体在五届香港回归周年报道（1998 年至 2020 年）中构建的“后殖民时间性政权”。在 1998 年的周年报道中，中英媒体就香港殖民遗产的“合法延续性”达成了一致；然而近些年来，环绕香港后殖民时间断裂性与差异性的意识形态争论取代了对“合法延续性”的共识。本文借助新的概念框架系统归纳了中英媒体周年报道呈现的多重时间主张；该框架整合了 a）时间模式（时间关系的“形式结构”）与 b）意识形态评估（时间关系的合法化与规范化）两个维度。中英媒体呈现的复杂时间性体现了香港“中间性”的后殖民状况与“未完成”的时间困局。这一独特的后殖民状态创造了一种开放的话语空间，可供有权势的符号持有者进行符合自身利益的意识形态诠释。

Keywords

postcolonialismthe regime of truthtemporalitiesHong Konganniversary journalismone countrytwo systems后殖民主义真理政权时间性香港周年报道一国两制
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 256 , December 2023 , pp. 1018 - 1035
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of SOAS University of London

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