ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a preliminary comparative analysis of China’s influence in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific states. It also provides a concentric center-periphery framework for comparing the geopolitical pattern arising from China’s expanding influence, helping to form a theoretical basis for conducting further comparative investigations of China’s influence across different continents. Orthodox international relations studies state that ‘power’ means tangible and intangible resources controlled by a state, while ‘influence’ refers to the way in which a state mobilizes its power resources for the purpose of changing the policies and actions of other actors. In political science literature, imperialist center-periphery theories adopt ‘empire-competition’ as the basic focus of analysis. In Hong Kong , over the years, many counter-Chinese influence social movements have been organized in response to the growing shadow of China’s influence. Most notably, Sino-American great-power competition is spreading across Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific states in the context of the “New Cold War”.
