'Defying the Dragon' tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC's authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi's China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing's time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves? Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong Kong-China relationship and its wider significance-right up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown. Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong's rebellion and China's handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime's weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all round, what lies ahead for Hong Kong, China and the world?

About the Author
Stephen Vines is a Hong Kong-based journalist who hosts current affairs TV show The Pulse. The founding editor of the Eastern Express, and author of Hong Kong: China's New Colony among other books, he has worked for the BBC, The Observer, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Sunday Times.

Reviews

'Written with honesty and integrity, [Defying the Dragon] chronicles a critical moment in Hong Kong's history as the city prepares for an unclear future.'

-- Post Magazine



Book Information
ISBN 9781787384552
Author Stephen Vines
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd