Perils of the Orient: Hong Kong as a Battleground in the US-China Rivalry

As a leading financial hub, it is long assumed that Hong Kong plays a limited role in the region's geopolitics. However, its unique status as a semi-autonomous and open city under the otherwise authoritarian rule of Beijing means that it has always been ripe for contention, influence, and subve...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inAsian perspective Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 209 - 227
Main Authors Fung, Chi Keung Charles, Wong, Seanon S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Seoul Johns Hopkins University Press 01.04.2023
Subjects
Anniversaries
Armed forces
Authoritarianism
Cold War
Colonialism
Colonies & territories
Democracy
Diplomatic & consular services
Geopolitics
Governance
International relations-US
Liberal democracy
Political parties
Subversion
Superpowers
World War II
Hong Kong China
Beijing China
United Kingdom > UK
United States > US
China
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:As a leading financial hub, it is long assumed that Hong Kong plays a limited role in the region's geopolitics. However, its unique status as a semi-autonomous and open city under the otherwise authoritarian rule of Beijing means that it has always been ripe for contention, influence, and subversion not only from the West but also from a China that increasingly seeks to project its power beyond its shores. Unlike its fortified neighbors situated at the fault line in the ongoing US-China rivalry, we argue that Hong Kong is no less consequential to the rivalry. We discuss how Hong Kong has been used as a leverage in the two superpowers' competition in other non-military issue-areas, as a resource to promote their respective mode of governance (authoritarianism versus liberal democracy), and as an exemplar for countries contemplating between the choice of a Chineseversus American-led international order.
ISSN:0258-9184
2288-2871
2288-2871
DOI:10.1353/apr.2023.0009