Podcast Summary:

New Books Network – Christine Loh, "Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong"
Host: Ed Pulford
Guest: Christine Loh
Date: March 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a conversation with Christine Loh, chief development strategist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and former Hong Kong lawmaker. Loh discusses the updated second edition of her book, Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong. The discussion explores the multifaceted history of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence in Hong Kong, tracing its roots from the 1920s, through pivotal historical moments (such as the 1967 riots and the 1997 handover), to contemporary debates about autonomy, identity, and the city’s political future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Christine Loh’s Personal Background & Perspectives

• Roots in Two Worlds: Loh describes herself as “a product of two different Chinese cultures”–her father was a Shanghai refugee, her mother was Hong Kong Cantonese. This background fostered her fascination with the region’s history (04:13).
• Encounter with Communism: Her early professional exposure to mainland China in the 1980s shaped her understanding of the CCP’s system versus colonial Hong Kong, noting a contrast between China’s revolutionary tumult and Hong Kong’s colonial stability (06:00).
  • Memorable quote: “For us sitting in Hong Kong, we kind of knew a lot of that and we felt very grateful that we didn't have to go through that...The tragedy was tremendous.” (06:18, Christine Loh)

Motivations for Writing the Book

• Legislative Curiosity: Loh’s questions in the Legislative Council (Legco) about how the CCP would operate after 1997 highlighted the city’s collective reluctance to discuss the party openly (11:33).
  • Quote: “People acknowledged that, okay, it's a thing that we never talk about. ... For you to bring it up, you're just stirring things up.” (12:08, Christine Loh)
• Underground Front: The Communist Party’s presence was officially parked under the Xinhua News Agency pre-handover, and even post-1997, remained shadowy and under-discussed.

Early CCP Activity in Colonial Hong Kong (1920s-1949)

• Origins of Influence: The Communist Party, founded in 1921, found Hong Kong a fertile ground due to its status as a port city and its active labor movement (17:52).
  • Quote: “Labor strikes in Hong Kong at the time truly inspired workers across the border in China... the issue of social justice, fairness, labor rights, very much a part of the time.” (19:22, Christine Loh)
• Hong Kong as Safe Haven & Frontline: The city’s unique status allowed the CCP to fundraise, liaise with international actors, and run front organizations (like tea trading companies), out of reach of mainland turmoil (21:17).
• Colonial Pragmatism: The British allowed both nationalist and communist actors, provided no overt contest for power occurred in the colony (24:27).

The Cultural Revolution and the 1967 Riots

• Escalation & Fallout: The CCP’s 1967 attempt to foment revolution in Hong Kong, inspired by the Cultural Revolution across the border, ignited violence, bombings, and backlash (29:09).
  • Quote: “During that time, the British then also had to think about how to go forward... the people of Hong Kong remembered that period and they didn't want to relive that period. They turned away from the Chinese Communist Party.” (31:32, Christine Loh)
• Outcomes: The colonial authorities, jolted by the unrest, began paying more attention to social welfare, leading to economic growth and a social shift away from mainland China (32:50).

The Reform Era and the “One Country, Two Systems” Formula

• Deng Xiaoping’s Pragmatism: The 1980s saw China wanting to leverage Hong Kong’s economic dynamism while reassuring the world of a peaceful handover–hence, the creation of “one country, two systems” (35:14).
  • Quote: “Their deepest fear was… Would [the British] leave the seeds of trouble for the Chinese? This was always one of the great fears that they had.” (37:44, Christine Loh)

United Front Work & Co-opting Local Elites

• Winning Elections: With the prospect of post-1997 elections, the CCP set out to woo Hong Kong’s elite (business, political, social) to ensure influence within the future system (40:09).
  • Quote: “If there are going to be elections in Hong Kong, then they need to win. ... The Communist Party would ensure ... elites in Hong Kong ... wouldn’t always hanker after a British presence.” (40:33, Christine Loh)
• Incorporation into Mainland Politics: The CCP invited Hong Kong notables to national institutions (National People’s Congress, CPPCC) to reinforce the message that Hong Kong was always part of China (44:01).

From Underground to Above Ground: The Party Since 1997

• Changing Tactics: Post-handover, CCP operatives (via the Xinhua News Agency and the Liaison Office) became more visible, engaging more actively with local society and media, though the party itself remains officially non-existent in Hong Kong (48:18).
  • Quote: “You can't really say that these people are now underground. They're very much above ground.” (48:38, Christine Loh)

Hong Kong, Identity, and Anxiety Over Integration

• Communication Barriers: Hong Kongers, especially the youth, have difficulty relating to CCP rhetoric and political culture, leading to alienation (51:17).
• Debate on the Greater Bay Area: There is division over seeing integration with Guangdong as an “opportunity” or the threat of being “swallowed” (53:09).
  • Quote: “The underlying currents of concern about whether we are going to be swallowed by something big is something that Hong Kong people have to work through.” (54:24, Christine Loh)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Beginnings

• “My first real job was in Beijing in 1980. It was a fabulous time for a young person in the early twenties to be there... that was my first real personal immersion in the Chinese political system.” (06:25, Christine Loh)

The Unspeakable Party

• “It was under the umbrella of the Xinhua News Agency, but that was where the Chinese Communist Party parked itself. We know it's there, ... but we don't want to talk about it.” (12:08, Christine Loh)

1967 Riots

• “The party members in Hong Kong created a lot of havoc. There were bombs and schools, so called leftist schools. Young people were involved in all of this...” (30:13, Christine Loh)

United Front and Elites

• “They would ensure first of all that they would bring on side the elites in Hong Kong, the political elites, the economic elites, the social elites…” (41:10, Christine Loh)

Hong Kongers' Divided Identity

• “I think at this moment in Hong Kong, there are people, maybe particularly the younger generations, that they haven't quite reconciled that Hong Kong is fully a part of China.” (51:17, Christine Loh)
• “Official Chinese speak is really quite difficult for other Chinese people because it's a more formalized way of talking... infused with language and imagery of Marxism, Leninism and Chinese culture.” (51:39, Christine Loh)

Hong Kong’s Evolving Role

• “Hong Kong, if you had a bigger platform, if you could join forces with Guangdong, then isn't this going to be better for you?... But yet the underlying currents of concern about whether we are going to be swallowed by something big is something that Hong Kong people have to work through.” (53:09/54:24, Christine Loh)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 01:15 – Introduction and the book’s significance
• 04:13 – Christine Loh shares her personal and family background
• 11:33 – Motivation for writing the book, asking Legco about the Party
• 17:52 – Early Communist and leftist activity in colonial Hong Kong
• 21:17 – Hong Kong’s strategic value for the CCP during the civil war and as a safe haven
• 24:27 – Use of front organizations; colonial governance dynamic
• 29:09 – The Cultural Revolution and 1967 Hong Kong riots
• 35:14 – Deng Xiaoping, one country two systems, and handover planning
• 40:09 – United Front work: co-opting elites and managing elections
• 44:01 – Incorporating Hong Kong elites into mainland political organs
• 48:18 – The shift from underground to above-ground Party presence post-1997
• 51:17 – Generational divide and difficulties communicating with Beijing
• 53:09 – The opportunity and anxiety of integration in the Greater Bay Area
• 55:51 – Loh’s current work and ongoing reflections on China-Hong Kong relations

Tone and Language

The discussion is thoughtful and exploratory, blending personal anecdotes with sharp, historically grounded analysis. Loh’s language is approachable and often reflective, combining academic rigor with insider perspective.

Conclusion

Christine Loh’s Underground Front illuminates the ways in which the CCP’s influence in Hong Kong has been both visible and hidden, negotiating the push and pull between colonial legacy and Chinese sovereignty. The episode offers listeners a multidimensional look at Hong Kong’s political present and future, identifying key historical moments, persistent anxieties, and the city’s unique vantage point at the crossroads of East and West.