Relationship dossier
Hong Kong
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Longstanding UK–Hong Kong connections coexist with political tensions and reciprocal suspension of extradition arrangements.
Hong Kong toward United Kingdom
-15Hong Kong’s government suspended its surrender agreement with the United Kingdom in July 2020, following the UK’s suspension of its extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
United Kingdom toward Hong Kong
+5The UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in 2020 and introduced a settlement route for eligible British National (Overseas) status holders and their families, enabling many to relocate to the UK.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship retains longstanding political, legal and personal connections, but the 2020 breakdown of extradition arrangements and the UK’s response to developments in Hong Kong have strained government ties. Hong Kong’s status as a Special Administrative Region means foreign affairs are primarily handled by China’s central government.
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, and foreign affairs are handled by the central government. Hong Kong’s government suspended its surrender agreement with the United Kingdom in 2020 after the UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. The UK also introduced a route to settlement for eligible British National (Overseas) status holders and their family members, reflecting both significant political tension and continuing connections.
Areas of tension
- Reciprocal suspension of extradition and surrender arrangements in 2020.
- UK criticism of Hong Kong’s national security law and subsequent political developments.
Key developments
The UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s government suspended its surrender agreement with the UK.
The UK’s British National (Overseas) visa route opened to eligible applicants.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Hong Kong government involvement in UK–Hong Kong cooperation outside the extradition issue is unclear.
- The longer-term effects of the UK’s British National (Overseas) immigration route on bilateral government relations are uncertain.