Since 1997, Hong Kong’s economic growth rate has dropped sharply, inequality has increased, and corruption has found its way to the highest levels of government. These developments, Simon Cartledge argues, can be attributed to the city’s ‘pro-business’ constitution, which has held back change and led to the rise of an anti-establishment, localist opposition. A System Apart traces the interplay of Hong Kong’s economy, society, politics and relations with the rest of China over the last twenty years. It concludes that the city needs to remodel its political structure and make its government accountable to its citizens, as was promised when the UK returned the territory to China two decades ago.