In clearing up a situation where corruption is rampant, there is general recognition that at some point an amnesty will have to be granted, but there is much debate over the appropriate timing. If it happens too soon, there is a danger that corrupt officials will just keep their heads low and hope the new campaign will blow over.

Hong Kong got the timing about right: So many police had gone to jail, or were under investigation, that the remainder realized the situation had changed fundamentally. By the time an amnesty was offered, the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong, or ICAC, had so much credibility that most took the opportunity to go straight and put their past bad behavior behind them.

But there were two other factors that enabled the city to be successful in its fight against corruption.