1. Full name of the doctoral candidate: Tran Thi Thanh Tam
2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: August 4, 1982 4. Place of birth: Yen Lac - Vinh Phuc (Phu Tho)
5. Decision to admit doctoral students:Decision No.2949/2021/QD-XHNV-DTDecember 28, 2021, from the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
6. Changes in the training process:
- Decision No. 5672/QD-XHNV, dated December 29, 2023, adjusts the training duration for doctoral programs from 3 years to 4 years.by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities;
- Decision No. 9469/QD-XHNV dated December 31, 2025, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on extending the study period of doctoral students from December 28, 2025, to December 28, 2026.
7. Thesis title:The impact of the Hong Kong issue on geopolitical changes in East Asia.
8. Major:Political Science 9. Code:9310201.01
10. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Quang and Dr. Nguyen Thu Hong
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
- Research objectives:This study examines and clarifies the issue of Hong Kong, focusing on the political changes there from 2014 to the present and their impact on security, development, and the resulting geopolitical shifts in East Asia. Based on this, it proposes several policy implications for Vietnam.
ButResearch task
First,Clarifying the Hong Kong issue and its underlying nature.
Secondly,Assessing the impact of recent political changes in Hong Kong on Hong Kong's development model and on China's own development model.
BaTo be,Assessing the impact of the Hong Kong issue on security, development, and geopolitical transformation in the East Asian region.
Fourth,Propose necessary countermeasures for Vietnam in response to the developments in Hong Kong.
ButResearch subjects: The Hong Kong issue and its impact on geopolitical changes in East Asia.
- Theoretical basis and research methodology
This dissertation is based on the theoretical foundations of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and Vietnam's foreign policy views and guidelines, while selectively applying modern political and international relations theories (especially institutional theory, sovereignty, and state power) to analyze the "one country, two systems" model.
In terms of methodology, the thesis primarily employs historical and logical methods, combined with statistics, comparison, policy analysis, and modern methods such as case studies, geopolitical analysis, discourse analysis, and scenario analysis to clarify the development of the Hong Kong issue and its impact on geopolitical relations and structures in the East Asian region.
Novel contributions of the thesis:
This dissertation has contributed to clarifying the nature of the Hong Kong issue within its contemporary historical and political context, viewing it as a complex problem simultaneously influenced by the "one country, two systems" model, Hong Kong's endogenous factors, and the impacts of the regional and international environment. This approach helps to more fully identify the dynamics and nature of the Hong Kong issue, thereby contributing to a more systematic and long-term perspective.
This thesis systematically analyzes and evaluates China's strategic objectives regarding Hong Kong, clarifying the content, implementation methods, and impact of these objectives on Hong Kong's political stability, socio-economic development, and governance model. Through this, it highlights Hong Kong's particularly important geostrategic role and position for China, the region, and the world, not only economically but also politically, in terms of security, and foreign relations.
This thesis clarifies the fundamental origins of recent political instability in Hong Kong, emphasizing the interaction between internal factors within Hong Kong and the involvement of external actors, particularly non-governmental organizations, international media, religious organizations, and elements associated with "color revolutions." This represents a new contribution to understanding the depth and complexity of political upheavals in Hong Kong, as well as drawing lessons for countries in the region, including Vietnam, in ensuring political security.
This dissertation systematically studies and evaluates the political changes in Hong Kong from 2014 to the present, analyzing the impact of these changes on Hong Kong's development model as well as on China itself. The research findings reveal significant adjustments in the central government's governance methods, the relationship between the central and local governments, and China's development direction in this new period.
Based on a regional and international perspective, this thesis assesses the impact of the Hong Kong issue on the security and development environment, creating geopolitical changes in East Asia. Through this, the thesis contributes to clarifying the relationship between the Hong Kong issue and strategic competition among major powers and the adjustment in the regional power structure.
Based on the research findings, the thesis proposes several policy implications that are valuable for Vietnam in monitoring, evaluating, and responding to developments related to the Hong Kong issue, contributing to ensuring Vietnam's security, stability, and development amidst regional and global changes.
- Conclude
Political upheaval in Hong Kong illustrates the conflict between institutional, social, and economic factors in the context of globalization, while also highlighting the close link between political stability, market confidence, and effective governance.
The root causes of instability stem from social imbalances, increasing inequality, and declining trust in institutions, particularly among young people. The "one country, two systems" model, along with its complex decentralized governance mechanism, exacerbates conflicts between the central and local governments, while a lack of dialogue and social consensus makes policies more likely to provoke strong reactions.
Consequently, political instability has diminished Hong Kong's status as a financial center, causing capital and businesses to shift away, thus demonstrating that political stability is a key condition for maintaining economic attractiveness and international standing.
Drawing from Hong Kong's experience, Vietnam needs to consider political and social stability as the foundation for development, while simultaneously enhancing governance capacity towards transparency, accountability, and increased dialogue to prevent conflicts. Alongside this, it must promote inclusive development, ensure social justice, reduce inequality, and improve opportunities for its citizens, especially young people, in order to strengthen confidence in the system.
Vietnam also needs to seize opportunities arising from the shift of capital and businesses, develop its domestic financial market, but with the added benefit of risk control and macroeconomic stability. Simultaneously, it needs to maintain independent and self-reliant foreign policy, strengthen institutional resilience, and enhance its ability to respond to external impacts.
Overall, the core lesson for Vietnam is the close integration of political stability, economic development, and social consensus, proactively adapting to international changes for sustainable development.
12. Future research directions: Studying the lessons learned from Hong Kong for the successful development of new financial centers in Vietnam.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
1.Tran Tho Quang, Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2021): “The current Hong Kong issue and its impact”,Journal of Chinese Studies,No. 224 (December 2021), pp. 33-46
2.Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2024), “The Dynamic of security and political situation in the Asia -Pacific and Souteast Asia region in the fist three decate of 21stcentury and its impact on Vietnam”, International conference proceedings: New research and findings in Vietnamese politics and international politics,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, University of social sciences and humanities, pp. 270 -278
3.Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2025), “Hong Kong's role in China's development: Analysis and some policy connections with Vietnam”,The third international conference on issues of social sciences and humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, University of social sciences and humanities, Vol 1, pp.413 - 425
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
Changes in academic process:
- Decision No. 5672/QD-XHNV on adjusting the duration of doctoral training programs from 3 years to 4 years, by Head of University of Social Sciences and Humanities - National University, Hanoi;
- Decision No. 9469/QD-XHNV dated December 31, 2025, issued by the Head of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, on the extension of the doctoral candidate's study period from December 28, 2025 to December 28, 2026.
Research objective:To examine and clarify the Hong Kong issue, focusing on the political developments there from 2014 to the present, and to analyze their impacts on security and development, thereby shaping geopolitical transformations in the East Asian region. On that basis, the thesis proposes several policy implications for Vietnam.
Research subject:The Hong Kong issue and its impacts on geopolitical changes in the East Asian region.
Research Tasks
First, to clarify the Hong Kong issue and its underlying nature.
Second, to assess the impact of recent political developments in Hong Kong on the development model of Hong Kong itself and that of China.
Third, to evaluate the impact of the Hong Kong issue on security, development, and geopolitical transformations in East Asia.
Fourth, to propose appropriate policy responses for Vietnam in the context of evolving developments related to the Hong Kong issue.
Research Methodology
The thesis is grounded in the theoretical framework of Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and the viewpoints and foreign policy orientations of Vietnam. It also selectively applies contemporary theories of political science and international relations- particularly institutional theory, as well as theories of sovereignty and state power- to analyze the “one country, two systems” model.
In terms of methodology, the thesis uses historical and logical methods, combined with statistical, comparative, and policy analysis approaches. It also incorporates modern research methods such as case studies, geopolitical analysis, discourse analysis, and scenario analysis to elucidate the evolution of the Hong Kong issue and its impact on regional relations and the geopolitical structure of East Asia.
New Contributions:The thesis contributes to clarifying the nature of the Hong Kong issue within its contemporary historical and political context, viewing it as a complex issue shaped simultaneously by the “one country, two systems” model, Hong Kong's internal factors, and influenced from the regional and international environment. This approach enables a more comprehensive identification of the drivers and characteristics of the Hong Kong issue, thereby contributing to a more systematic and long-term perspective.
The thesis also provides a systematic analysis and assessment of China's strategic objectives toward Hong Kong, clarifying their content, modes of implementation, and impacts on political stability, socio-economic development, and Hong Kong's governance model. On that basis, it highlights the particularly important geostrategic role and position of Hong Kong for China, the region, and the world—not only in economic terms but also in political, security, and foreign policy dimensions.
The thesis clarifies the fundamental sources of recent political instability in Hong Kong, emphasizing the interaction between Hong Kong's internal factors and the involvement of external actors, particularly non-governmental organizations, international media, religious organizations, and elements associated with “color revolutions.” This constitutes a novel contribution to explain the depth and complexity of political developments in Hong Kong, as well as drawing lessons for countries in the region in ensuring political security, including Vietnam.
The thesis scientifically examines and evaluates the course of political developments in Hong Kong from 2014 to the present and analyzes their impacts on Hong Kong's development model as well as on China itself. The research findings indicate significant adjustments in the governance approach of the central government, the central–local relationship, and China's development orientation in the new period.
On the basis of a regional and international approach, the thesis assesses the impacts of the Hong Kong issue on the security and development environment, thereby generating geopolitical transformations in the East Asian region. It thus contributes to clarifying the linkage between the Hong Kong issue and strategic competition among major powers, as well as adjustments in the regional power structure.
Based on its research findings, the thesis proposes several policy implications of reference value for Vietnam in monitoring, assessing, and responding to developments related to the Hong Kong issue, thereby contributing to the assurance of Vietnam's security, stability, and development in a context of significant regional and global changes.
Surgery
Political developments in Hong Kong reveal the complex interactions and tensions among institutional, social, and economic factors in the context of globalization, while underscoring the close relationship between political stability, market confidence, and governance effectiveness.
The root causes of instability lie in social imbalances, widening inequality, and declining trust in institutions, particularly among the youth. The “one country, two systems” model, combined with a complex decentralized governance mechanism, has exacerbated tensions between the central and local levels, while the lack of dialogue and social consensus has made policies more prone to strong public backlash.
As a result, political instability has undermined Hong Kong's position as a leading financial center, prompting capital and businesses to relocate. This demonstrates that political stability is a key condition for maintaining economic attractiveness and international standing.
Drawing on Hong Kong's experience, Vietnam should regard socio-political stability as the foundation for development, while enhancing governance capacity through greater transparency, accountability, and dialogue to prevent conflicts. At the same time, it is essential to promote inclusive development, ensure social equity, reduce inequality, and expand opportunities for citizens—especially the youth—in order to strengthen trust in institutions.
Vietnam should also capitalize on the relocation of capital and enterprises by developing its domestic financial market, while ensuring effective risk control and macroeconomic stability. In parallel, it is necessary to maintain an independent and self-reliant foreign policy, strengthen institutional resilience, and improve the capacity to respond to external impacts.
Overall, the key lesson for Vietnam is to closely integrate political stability, economic development, and social consensus, while proactively adapting to international changes to achieve sustainable development.
Future research directions: Research on lessons from Hong Kong for the successful development of new financial centers in Vietnam
Thesis-related publications
1. Tran Tho Quang, Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2021), “The Hong Kong Issue at Present and Its Impacts,”Journal of Chinese Studies, No. 224 (December 2021), pp. 33–46.
2.Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2024), “The Dynamic of security and political situation in the Asia -Pacific and Souteast Asia region in the fist three decate of 21stcentury and its impact on Vietnam”, International conference proceedings: New research and findings in Vietnamese politics and international politics,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, University of social sciences and humanities, pp. 270 -278
3.Tran Thi Thanh Tam (2025), “Hong Kong's role in China's development: Analysis and some policy connections with Vietnam”,The third international conference on issues of social sciences and humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, University of social sciences and humanities, Vol 1, pp.413 - 425
Author:Department of Training and Non-profit Organization
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