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

Abstract: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.