Abstract

This article investigates the differences in the public reaction to the Fukushima disaster in Taiwan and Hong Kong, focusing on the public’s perception of risk. This study shows that in both places weaker groups, such as civil society opposition groups and activists, have fewer outlets to disseminate their ideas and are thus easily overpowered by dominant ideologies pushed forward by probusiness groups and governments. Nevertheless, a closer look at local specificities will bring to light significant differences between social activists’ and the general public’s perception of risk in relation to nuclear energy in Hong Kong and Taiwan. While there is widespread opposition to it in Taiwan, in Hong Kong there seems to be no or only muted resistance.