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Short abstract:

Despite constrained communication, hindered by a hierarchical reporting system, Hong Kong scientists significantly contributed to SARS research. This study unveils cross-border research networks beyond governmental structures, illuminating the role of legacy and trust in outbreak collaborations.

Long abstract:

South China, an influenza reservoir and the origin of significant outbreaks like SARS and COVID-19, has had a global impact extending beyond political boundaries. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China since 1997, possesses a unique medical legacy shaped by its British past. The influx of medical officials during colonial rule fostered the growth of medical knowledge and disease ecology, resulting in world-class medical facilities by the handover in 1997. On the other hand, Hong Kong’s geographical proximity to South China, especially its neighbouring province Guangdong, has exposed it to infectious diseases while also fostering cross-border collaborations and contributions to medical knowledge, notably in tropical medicine.

This distinctive context makes Hong Kong an ideal research site to explore the cross-border spread of microbes and collaborations. Focusing on the SARS outbreak, this paper examines how Hong Kong managed the crisis, emphasizing cross-border communication and collaboration with Guangdong. Despite the proximity, Hong Kong experienced delays in learning about the SARS outbreak from Guangdong, revealing the shortcomings in mainland China’s hierarchical reporting system. However, despite the delay and the lack of direct communication between provinces, Hong Kong’s scientists made significant contributions to SARS research. This paper thus aims to unveil how scientists’ cross-border networks extend beyond governmental structures between Hong Kong and the mainland. Ultimately, this study seeks to illuminate the convergence of state policies, regional authorities, and scientists’ networks in outbreak responses.