The New Politics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations: Ideological Conflicts and Factionalism

In The
New Politics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations, Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo looks at the diverging changes to the ideologies from both
Beijing and Hong Kong, and the ideological conflicts as taken in the form of
factional political struggles between 2012 and the present. This book examines
the paternalistic authoritarianism that can be seen in Beijing's policy toward
Hong Kong since the promulgation of the national security law in late June
2020. Lo analyzes the
ideological shift from liberal nationalism to conservative nationalism in
mainland China, which has taken place since late 2012. The increasingly radical
localism in Hong Kong after 2014 transformed Beijing-Hong Kong
relations into a conflict-ridden situation characterized by factional
struggles. While the imposition of the national security law into Hong Kong
since late June 2020 has stabilized the city politically, Beijing's policy
toward Hong Kong is now guided by the principles of protecting its national
security and maintaining economic pragmatism, with implications for Beijing's
relations with Taipei in the coming years.


About the Author
Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo is professor and deputy director of HKU SPACE, and an acting principal of the HKU SPACE Community College.