Relationship dossier
Hong Kong
Philippines
Relationship assessment
A hostage-crisis dispute was followed by a negotiated resolution, within Hong Kong’s limited external-affairs framework.
Hong Kong toward Philippines
-5After the 2010 Manila hostage-taking, the Hong Kong government imposed travel measures affecting Philippine officials. It lifted those measures in 2014 following a settlement with the Philippine government.
Philippines toward Hong Kong
+10The Philippine government negotiated with Hong Kong over the 2010 Manila hostage-taking and conveyed regret as part of a 2014 resolution, after which Hong Kong lifted its travel measures against Philippine officials.
Overall relationship
0The relationship is shaped by Hong Kong’s status as a special administrative region with limited external-affairs powers, extensive people-to-people links, and the serious but resolved dispute arising from the 2010 Manila hostage-taking. The 2014 settlement eased that dispute, though the broader scope of government cooperation is less clear.
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’s external affairs are governed within the framework of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, while its government handles some regional matters. The 2010 Manila hostage-taking created a serious dispute with the Philippines, including Hong Kong travel measures against Philippine officials. The governments reached a resolution in 2014, after which Hong Kong lifted those measures. The relationship also involves substantial people-to-people ties, including Filipino workers in Hong Kong.
Areas of tension
- The 2010 Manila hostage-taking and the handling of its aftermath, including Hong Kong travel measures against Philippine officials.
Key developments
A hostage-taking in Manila involving Hong Kong tourists led to a serious dispute between the Hong Kong and Philippine governments.
The governments reached a resolution over the hostage-taking aftermath; Hong Kong lifted travel measures against Philippine officials.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of Hong Kong’s government-to-government cooperation with the Philippines beyond the hostage-crisis settlement is unclear.
- The implementation and longer-term effects of the 2014 settlement are unclear.