1. An Introduction: Protests, Pandemic, and Security Predicaments in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and the US

This chapter surveys and summarizes chapters in this volume in dealing with key developments since 2019, including the Hong Kong Protests, the pandemic crisis, and security concerns and interest calculation of three main players—China, Taiwan, and the US. Additionally, the examination of the nuances, intrigues, and complexities of these issues in each player’s policy deliberation and decision illustrates several thematic implications concerning the primacy of politics even in public health issues, the interconnectivity between domestic politics and external affairs, and each actor’s security predicaments for regime stability and economic prosperity.