Securitizing COVID-19 in an Environment of Low Political Trust: The Case of Hong Kong

Dionysios Stivas; Alistair Cole

doi:10.1525/as.2023.2081515

Securitizing COVID-19 in an Environment of Low Political Trust: The Case of Hong Kong

Dionysios Stivas
, Alistair Cole^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Geography, Sociology and International Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Securitization was a common practice of governments during the first phases of the COVID-19 outbreak. To successfully securitize a pandemic, a government has to convince its citizens of the magnitude of the threat. Trusted governments should be able to do this more effectively than untrusted ones. Hong Kong, our case study, is unique because the government managed to control the pandemic in a context of extremely low political trust. This paper examines the extent to which trust in the government and smart technologies influenced the securitization and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. The results of this study suggest that under certain circumstances governments can successfully manage a health emergency even when they do not enjoy much political trust.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	116–142
Number of pages	27
Journal	Asian Survey
Volume	64
Issue number	1
Early online date	7 Nov 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2023.2081515
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024
Event	Trust-Transparency and the Transnational management of Covid-19 : Launching the Jean Monnet Centre - Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China Duration: 19 May 2023 → 19 May 2023

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

User-Defined Keywords

securitization
Hong Kong
smart city
political trust
COVID-19
pandemic

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10.1525/as.2023.2081515

Cite this

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title = "Securitizing COVID-19 in an Environment of Low Political Trust: The Case of Hong Kong",

abstract = "Securitization was a common practice of governments during the first phases of the COVID-19 outbreak. To successfully securitize a pandemic, a government has to convince its citizens of the magnitude of the threat. Trusted governments should be able to do this more effectively than untrusted ones. Hong Kong, our case study, is unique because the government managed to control the pandemic in a context of extremely low political trust. This paper examines the extent to which trust in the government and smart technologies influenced the securitization and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. The results of this study suggest that under certain circumstances governments can successfully manage a health emergency even when they do not enjoy much political trust.",

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note = "This research was supported by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (Erasmus-JMO-2022-COE-101085026) Improving Institutional Trust during Pandemics, based at Hong Kong Baptist University. It builds on data collected as part of the project Trust and the Smart City, funded by a Hong Kong Baptist University Research Committee Faculty Niche Research Area Initiation Grant (2019/20). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.; Trust-Transparency and the Transnational management of Covid-19<br/> : Launching the Jean Monnet Centre ; Conference date: 19-05-2023 Through 19-05-2023",

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N1 - This research was supported by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (Erasmus-JMO-2022-COE-101085026) Improving Institutional Trust during Pandemics, based at Hong Kong Baptist University. It builds on data collected as part of the project Trust and the Smart City, funded by a Hong Kong Baptist University Research Committee Faculty Niche Research Area Initiation Grant (2019/20). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

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N2 - Securitization was a common practice of governments during the first phases of the COVID-19 outbreak. To successfully securitize a pandemic, a government has to convince its citizens of the magnitude of the threat. Trusted governments should be able to do this more effectively than untrusted ones. Hong Kong, our case study, is unique because the government managed to control the pandemic in a context of extremely low political trust. This paper examines the extent to which trust in the government and smart technologies influenced the securitization and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. The results of this study suggest that under certain circumstances governments can successfully manage a health emergency even when they do not enjoy much political trust.

AB - Securitization was a common practice of governments during the first phases of the COVID-19 outbreak. To successfully securitize a pandemic, a government has to convince its citizens of the magnitude of the threat. Trusted governments should be able to do this more effectively than untrusted ones. Hong Kong, our case study, is unique because the government managed to control the pandemic in a context of extremely low political trust. This paper examines the extent to which trust in the government and smart technologies influenced the securitization and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. The results of this study suggest that under certain circumstances governments can successfully manage a health emergency even when they do not enjoy much political trust.

KW - securitization

KW - Hong Kong

KW - smart city

KW - political trust

KW - COVID-19

KW - pandemic

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JO - Asian Survey

JF - Asian Survey

IS - 1

Y2 - 19 May 2023 through 19 May 2023

ER -

Securitizing COVID-19 in an Environment of Low Political Trust: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract

UN SDGs

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