Abstract

The theory of offensive realism postulates that when a potential hegemon and an existing hegemon clash, their intense security competition will span all corners of the globe. This study advances the literature by investigating the impact of great power on non-sovereign entities, using Hong Kong as a case study. Drawing on archival and published data, this study examines the geopolitical status of Hong Kong as a function of the changing US–China great power relations. The findings of this study demonstrate that as a consequence of the changing US–China relations, Hong Kong has been transformed from a geopolitical buffer zone in the 1950s and 1960s (US–China restrained competition) and the 1970s through the 2000s (US–China rapprochement) into a geopolitical hot spot since the 2010s (US–China intense competition). This study contributes to the literature by fostering dialogues between great power studies and the non-sovereignty literature.