Relationship dossier
Hong Kong
Malaysia
Relationship assessment
Hong Kong and Malaysia cooperate through a bilateral tax agreement; Hong Kong’s external economic engagement operates within its special administrative status.
Hong Kong toward Malaysia
+20The Hong Kong SAR government concluded a bilateral agreement with Malaysia to avoid double taxation, an area of external economic relations within the region’s authority.
Malaysia toward Hong Kong
+20The Malaysian government concluded a bilateral agreement with Hong Kong to avoid double taxation, establishing a concrete channel for tax cooperation.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship includes practical government cooperation through a bilateral tax agreement, while Hong Kong’s external economic engagement takes place within its special administrative status and China’s foreign-affairs framework. The scope of cooperation beyond taxation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, with its own authority over specified external economic matters rather than an independent foreign policy. Hong Kong and Malaysia have a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation, providing a concrete basis for government cooperation. The scope of other bilateral cooperation and the agreement’s implementation are not sufficiently clear for a broader assessment.
Key developments
Hong Kong and Malaysia signed an agreement to avoid double taxation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of other Hong Kong–Malaysia government cooperation is unclear.
- Details of the implementation and practical effects of the tax agreement are limited.