Since the start of the 21st century, China's growing power has enabled her to successfully influence other countries in order to achieve its political goals, a phenomenon that has been named the »China factor«. This pressure is especially visible in Taiwan and Hong Kong, two areas that China is aiming to eventually annex and integrate into its territory, but the local populace is resisting and mobilizing in social movements. The thesis focuses on the explanation of the China factor mechanisms in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the movements against them, and finally cooperation between the movements, with a special emphasis on the years between 2016 and 2020. Despite the differences in their actual political status, the fact that they are facing a common opponent has contributed not only to the rise of a local identity, but also a shared identity that led to cooperation between the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong. The prime example of this remain the social movements of 2014. While there was a decline in protest activity in Taiwan during the four year frame owing to president Cai Yingwen's pro-Taiwan politics, there was however significant mobilization of Taiwanese people in support of the Hong Kong's social movement in 2019; unlike in Taiwan, protests in Hong Kong are increasing in frequency, while the Chinese authorities' interventions are also more frequent. During the anti-extradition movement, Taiwanese helped their Hong Kong counterparts with material resources, moral support and knowledge of mobilization strategies that was carried on from previous resistance movements.
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