This article examines the importance of an autonomous bureaucracy and a strong civil society in the combat against COVID-19 by analysing the policy responses of Hong Kong under the combined framework of policy capacity and Political Nexus Triads (PNT). The case of Hong Kong underlines the importance of state–society interactions in constituting policy responses under a weak or failed state. From the perspective of collaborative governance, it is crucial for citizens to be engaged as partners in public policies, thus highlighting a certain degree of complementarity between state and non-state actors in the co-production of public policies.