This book is the result of a research project conducted under the auspices of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) of the University of Hong Kong, which involved a major international conference on 6 and 7 September 2013 at the University of Hong Kong. It was conceived and planned during my CSAH/CSHSS Early Career Fellowship at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), and I am very grateful to the Centre for providing me with the opportunities to work on and discuss my ideas at a very early stage with colleagues from a great number of disciplines. I am equally grateful to my referees for my application for this fellowship, Prof. John Bell (Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge) and Dr Jude Browne (The Jessica and Peter Frankopan Director of the University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies), not only for their references but also their continuing support. The project also built on a previous event, the Symposium ‘Challenging Gender, Gender Challenges’, held as the St John's College Martin Lectures at the University of Hong Kong on 11 December 2010 and very generously supported by St John's College/University of Hong Kong and particularly the Master of the College, Rev. Dr Eric Chong.

The support the project has received in Hong Kong was overwhelming, and I would like to thank (in no particular order) Prof. Scott Veitch, Prof. Philip Beh, Prof. Johannes Chan, Prof. Marco Wan (all of the University of Hong Kong), Dr Chih-hsing Ho (now at the Academia Sinica, Taiwan), Dr Anthony Ng (Wyng Foundation), Michael Vidler (Vidler & Co), Rev. Dr Eric Chong (Master of St. John's College/University of Hong Kong), the students of the 2013 ‘Comparative Family Law’ class at the University of Hong Kong, Earl Deng (barrister-at-law, Chambers of Denis Chang QC SC), Marco Chan, Au Yun Ling, and particularly Polly Yiu who at the time was the administrator of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) and who managed the conference with all its difficulties with almost superhuman efficiency.