Talk Synopsis
Sub-national diplomacy refers to the external relations of cities, counties, provinces, and other actors within sovereign states. In this talk, Dr. Brian Wong argues that Hong Kong’s agency as a sub-national actor has long been contingent upon and intertwined with the state of Sino-American relations. The more robust and mutually complementary relations between China and the US have been, the more agency Hong Kong has had. International and geopolitical tensions between the two global powers have a clear and distinct impact on domestic legal, political, and institutional changes in the city. While domestic events and decisions in Hong Kong cannot impact bilateral relations between China and the US, they can, under certain conditions, serve as amplifiers. With Donald Trump’s return to the White House imminent, to what extent does Hong Kong have agency, and what role can it play in China’s external relations?
Speaker’s Profile
Dr. Brian Wong is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy at Hong Kong University. He is a political theorist and geopolitical strategist whose research examines authoritarian regimes and citizens’ political and moral responsibilities, colonial and historical injustices, and the interaction between technologies and the moral and political responsibilities of individuals as citizens. His latest publication is ‘How Should Liberal Democratic Governments Treat Conscientious Disobedience as A Response to State Injustice’ (2022), co-authored with Prof. Joseph Chan Cho Wai (HKU, Princeton). He routinely advises multi-national corporations, family offices, and leading think-tanks on geopolitical affairs and macro risks throughout Asia.