Structural Entrapment and Contested Sovereignty: Colonial Exit, Hybrid Regimes, and the Logic of Irrecoverable Commitment in Hong Kong and Macao
Abstract
This paper develops a theory of 'structural entrapment' to explain the divergent post-handover trajectories of Hong Kong and Macao. It argues that the depth of colonial entrapment at the moment of exit — economic, institutional, demographic, and symbolic — determines the viability of hybrid regime arrangements and the likelihood of sovereignty contestation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics
Political Systems and Governance
Legal and cultural studies analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 5 March 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint