Collaborative Governance in Mainland China and Hong Kong: Introductory Essay

This symposium explores collaborative governance in Mainland China and Hong Kong across an array of different goods and services, including local community services, national disaster insurance, social services, and sustainable development. Past research demonstrates that collaborative governance can be imposed, induced, or organically created. According to this symposium's four pieces, all three dynamics are in play in influencing collaborative activity in the delivery of these services in China. In this introductory essay we begin by highlighting the major contributions of these pieces to our understanding of collaborative governance in Mainland China and Hong Kong. We follow this summary by recommending important lines of research on collaborative governance in China. We conclude by suggesting approaches that scholars can take to unlock new insights given the research challenges that China presents.