Positive self-concept and good understanding of science are important indicators of scientific literacy endorsed by professional organizations. The existing research literature suggests that these two indicators are reciprocally related and mutually reinforcing. Generalization of the reciprocal model demands empirical studies in different cultures. In this investigation, Hong Kong has been identified as a meeting place between the West and the East, and TIMSS and TIMSS-R databases are analyzed to confirm features of the reciprocal model two years before and after Hong Kong's political transition in 1997. The result may not only help generalize the reciprocal model in a different culture setting, but also assess contextual changes in the language of instruction from English to Chinese brought by the political transition. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)