‘Yellow Economic Circle’: A social movement that utilises economic means to achieve political ends
The article is part of the 'Hong Kong Anti-extradition Demonstrations: One Year Ago Today' initiative which aims to raise awareness for the movement and also to debunk some myths regarding the movement’s origins and core elements.
This article forms part of the five-part investigation conducted around the ‘yellow economic circle’. For more information regarding the movement’s origins, impacts, sustainability and debates over its economic versus political classification, please refer to the links below.
NEWS articles:
INSIGHT articles:
Final analysis: consumption and politics, two sides of the same coin? The ‘yellow economic circle’ as a social movement that utilises economic means to achieve political ends.
Image Source: AP Photos
After analysis of both ends of the rhetoric, the debate over the ‘yellow economic circle’ remains inconclusive. Due to its multifaceted nature, the extent and degree of its impact across different areas of society, the ‘yellow economic circle’ can be termed a social movement that utilises economic means to achieve political ends.
Whilst its origins can be traced back to the anti-extradition demonstrations - a term adopted by demonstrators to refer to shops which supported the demonstration - it remains unclear whether the movement’s emphasis is on social, economic or political features. A widely-shared opinion over this discourse is that the movement is ultimately a call for social justice.
It can be observed that the ‘yellow economic circle’ lacks the features of a coerced movement. Not only does it lack formal sponsorship and endorsement, it further lacks a leader and its activities are mostly organised by the citizens themselves using online social platforms. It is fundamentally a bottom-up movement initiated by the people of Hong Kong, for the people of Hong Kong. As for speculations over its political intentions and economic benefits, these are mere implications of the overall movement.
At the core of the movement, its aims are those of bettering the social climate in Hong Kong.
Driven by motivations of achieving social justice, it recognises economic entities as a legitimate and powerful means to enact long-term social change. In its realisation that consumer choice can be utilised as a form of soft-power, the assumption that ‘consumption behaviours are based solely on the principle of self-interest’ becomes invalid and inapplicable. Its adaptation of ‘consumer choice’ recognises ‘consumerism’ as a two-way mechanism and gifts it the same narrative encompassed in a political vote. As noted in an article published by The Diplomat, “every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” ’It's no longer a discourse about the economic benefits. Instead, self-interested consumption methods have become the mechanism behind the use of moral choice. Through patronisation, shops are validated for their morality. Political implications that arise are immediate effects of the movement and do not take away from the movement’s aims of achieving non-immediate social change. Fundamentally, the ‘yellow economic circle’ was created due to a climate of suffocation in Hong Kong. The people who most desire for the end to the ‘yellow economic circle’ are the supporters themselves.
Note that opinions expressed in the article above do not represent the overall stance of Asiatic Affairs, Students' Union UCL or University College London. If you have read something you would like to respond to, please get in touch with uclasiaticaffairs@gmail.com.
Editors' Note: As a blanket disclaimer for the entire ‘Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Demonstrations: One Year Ago Today’ initiative, we will not be disclosing the identities of any of the contributors to the initiative. We thank everyone who has submitted a piece of their own work and we apologise for not being able to openly accredit you for your contributions.