Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted Access (SIA Only)
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
Abstract
As China’s economic influence expands, it has become one of the three largest regions in the global art market. Yet much academic discourse still relies on Euro-American models of “free capital markets,” which inadequately capture the institutional complexity of non-Western contexts. Mainland China and Hong Kong represent two distinct systems—one state-led, the other a liberal free-port economy—that increasingly function in complementarity under the “one country, two systems” model.
This study examines their institutional divergence and strategic interdependence. Hong Kong’s low taxation, transparency, and capital mobility contrast with the Mainland’s policy-driven growth and state-backed cultural investment. The research provides a comparative framework for collectors, investors, and institutions to optimise cross-border strategies, mitigate structural frictions, and identify areas for collaboration. It also shows how institutional asymmetry can foster synergy and strengthen cultural coordination. By mapping the structural logic underpinning this relationship, the dissertation contributes to cultural economics and the strategic understanding of interconnected art systems.
Recommended Citation
Yuheng, Sun, "A Comparative Study of the Art Markets in Mainland China and Hong Kong: An Analysis of Market Structure and Strategic Complementarity" (2026). MA in Art Business Dissertations. 42.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_art_bus/42