Sharp Power And Para Diplomacy: China’s Strategic Influence Over Hong Kong Since 2020

The mutual interaction between sharp power and para-diplomacy in Hong Kong reflects the complexities of China’s strategic influence in a contested geopolitical context. Historically, Hong Kong has had its autonomy under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle to pursue para-diplomatic efforts, promoting international trade, cultural exchange, and economic cooperation. But China’s growing dependence on sharp power— expressed as coercion, propaganda, and centralized authority—has dramatically undermined Hong Kong’s paradiplomatic independence. This article analyses the tools of China’s sharp power, including the National Security Law (2020), media censorship, and economic intervention, and their influence on Hong Kong’s subnational diplomacy. Through theoretical approaches and empirical case studies, this research highlights the wider implications of these forces for global governance and regional stability. The research demands strategic and moral responses for the protection of international norms as it addresses subnational diplomatic tension between sovereignty and autonomy.