Policy Advocacy

In commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Path of Democracy proudly presents the inaugural 1C2S Index, a comprehensive assessment of the current state of "One Country, Two Systems" (1C2S). This Index is designed for anyone interested in understanding the progress of 1C2S.

The 1C2S Index is grounded in a public opinion survey conducted in Hong Kong, focusing on 1C2S, and is complemented by international benchmarks that compare Hong Kong's human rights, freedoms, and democratic measures with those of other countries and territories.

To further enrich our analysis, we have also launched the 1C2S Mass Media Index (MMI). Utilizing big data, the MMI tracks the sentiment of Hong Kong newspapers regarding 1C2S since 1998, recognizing the significant impact that media sentiment has on public opinion.

It is important to note that public opinion, international perceptions, and the MMI are shaped by subjective views and may not always reflect reality. Nevertheless, shifts in the perceptions of 1C2S among the people of Hong Kong, international think tanks, and the local press are essential indicators. We will delve into the factors driving these changes, as they play a crucial role in the ongoing implementation of 1C2S.

To support evidence-based governance, PoD has opened the 'One Country, Two Systems' Index database for academic research. For data purchase inquiries, please contact us (Phone: 852 - 2509 3131 / Email: info@podresearch.hk).

Summary (2025 H1)

Index score

The performance of 1C2S implementation stands at: 6.15(+0.16%)

Public Opinion

The public opinion scores indicate slight declines in all three primary pillars compared to the previous half-year. Compared to the previous half-year, the scores for the three core pillars exhibit differentiated trends. the "high degree of autonomy" pillar showed a slight increase of 0.2% from the second half of 2024, reaching a score of 5.22. in contrast, the "human rights and freedom" pillar declined by 1.9 percentage points to 5.24, while the "Hong Kong-mainland relations" pillar also experienced a modest drop of 0.9 percentage points, settling at 5.55.

International Perspective
Compared to the previous round, the score for the "Economic Openness" pillar increased by 0.9%, reaching 9.47 points, while the "Civil Liberty" pillar rose by 1.1% to 6.29 points. The score for "Democratic Development" increased by 1.4% to 5.12 points. All sub-pillar scores showed an upward trend except for "Expression, Association, and Assembly." Among them, the sub-pillar with the largest increase was "Political Pluralism" (+3.1%).

1C2S Mass Media Index (MMI)

In the first half of 2025, the International Monetary Fund delegation completed its fourth consultation on the HKSAR, acknowledging a gradual economic recovery and affirming Hong Kong's role as an international financial center. At the year's start, the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center launched HKGAI V1, the city's first large model utilizing DeepSeek's full parameter fine-tuning, marking a significant breakthrough in AI and attracting positive media attention. However, this momentum shifted when the U.S. imposed sanctions on six officials from the central and Hong Kong governments, leading to negative media coverage and a decline in public sentiment. During National Security Education Day and the fifth anniversary of the Hong Kong National Security Law, statements from central officials helped stabilize the MMI index at 148.0 points by mid-year.

Methodological Notes

• 1C2S Index is the average of public opinion and international perception.
• The three pillars on public opinion, namely ‘high degree of autonomy’, ‘human rights and freedom’ and ‘Hong Kong-Mainland relationship’ are the evaluation by Hong Kong public on different dimensions of 1C2S.
• The three pillars on international perception, namely ‘economic openness’, ‘civil liberty’ and ‘democratic development’, are the evaluation by international think tanks on various aspects of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
• 1C2S MMI measures daily net sentiment of media reports from television and radio stations, daily newspapers and online-only media that were published since 1998.