Does the European Union 'Rule the World'? Competition Law Diffusion to Singapore and Hong Kong

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Karagiannis, Yannis
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983; 1748-5991
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.70150
• 发表日期: 2026-03-20
• 关键词: Brussels effect; coercion; COMPETITION; Hong Kong; international policy diffusion; learning; singapore

摘要

This article examines why Singapore and Hong Kong adopted competition law by testing four diffusion mechanisms: coercion, competition, learning, and the Brussels Effect. Using structured process tracing and extensive archival evidence, it evaluates the distinct observable implications of each mechanism. Singapore-often cited as a most-likely case for the Brussels Effect-adopted competition law only when the United States made it a requirement of the USSFTA. Hong Kong, despite its greater exposure to EU competition enforcement, resisted reform for nearly 15 years and shifted only when Beijing signaled support for a general competition law. In both jurisdictions, firms did not internalize EU standards or lobby for EU-style rules, and neither regime adopted EU-type merger control. Competitive interdependence receives no empirical support, while learning operates mainly as an adaptive tool once external pressure is present. The findings refine the scope conditions of market-driven regulatory diffusion and highlight the political foundations of 'economic constitutions.'