So far this account of Hong Kong and its politics since 1997 has focused on discussion of events in Hong Kong, but with the argument that these reflect a wider set of developments at the global scale, and that by looking at change in China and globally we are better able to understand developments in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's politics feature many of the characteristics of politics elsewhere, from polarization to populism, while Hong Kong's economy can only be fully understood by taking a global perspective.

This chapter examines more specific international aspects of the Hong Kong SAR. First, it looks at Hong Kong as an international actor, at the space and scope it has to engage on the international stage, and what this means for the SAR's development. This leads into a discussion of developments in Hong Kong from the perspective of those outside Hong Kong. In particular, it examines the policy approaches to the SAR from Hong Kong's former colonial master, the United Kingdom, with additional comment on the approaches of the United States and European Union. The chapter concludes with a more policy-oriented discussion of some of the ways in which these approaches might deal (or might have dealt) more effectively with the challenges that Hong Kong politics presents to third countries.

Underpinning this analysis is the view that Hong Kong still matters internationally. As a business and finance centre it is important for the global economy, playing a particularly important role in flows of capital and information. It is one of the key places where the Chinese and global economies interact (although unlike at some points in the past it is no longer the only such place). Economically and culturally it is an important partner for many other economies, and has the potential to play a positive role in the context of rising geopolitical and geo-economic tensions. And as a broadly free and open society that is now part of China, it tells us something about the way that the Chinese leadership might deal with political difference.