Hong Kong: What's Changed, What Hasn't

What Hasn't Changed

Hong Kong vs. Shanghai

Hong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. Some feared that role as the Middle Kingdom's middleman would end in 1997, and that the city would be eclipsed by the mainland's financial center. Shanghai has certainly made up ground in the past decade: its ports now move more total cargo per year than Hong Kong, long one of the busiest shipping hubs on earth. But Hong Kong's track record of stability, transparency and emphasis on the rule of law is for now at least substantially better than that of the mainland, insuring it remains a primary broker to the world.

• Hong Kong, China
• Timeline: Hong Kong, 1997-2007