[michaelmrose]

A coup is a change in leadership enacted outside of the accepted legal method for that unit of governance it has nothing to do with leaving the patent unit.

[Guvante]

To my knowledge there has never been an "accepted legal method" and so while I agree with your point I don't know your summary is better...

[michaelmrose]

Perhaps that was insufficiently clear. Every nation has an acceptable legal method for choosing new leadership

> A coup d'état, or simply a coup, is an illegal and overt attempt by the military or other government elites to unseat the incumbent leader by force. A self-coup is when a leader, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means.

The proper turn when an existing power structure attempts to detach itself from its superiors is secession

[Guvante]

Hong Kong is lead by China directly which is why I phrased it as I did.

Secession would have been before China took direct control. At this point any "secession" wouldn't come from the government.

[michaelmrose]

Secession is when the smaller unit removes itself from the larger unit. Coup an illegitimate change in control of the unit.

[michaelmrose]

And as I attempt to correct I can't type "term" or "parent" my apologies.