Chinese officials confront US diplomats, draw red lines over Hong Kong speech
Chinese Foreign Ministry Diplomat Meets with U.S. Consul over Plaintive Remarks the future of Hong Kong under the Chinese Communist Party.
US Consul General Gregory May said last month that he was concerned about Hong Kong’s status as a business center without the guaranteed freedoms enjoyed before the island return to China.
“The National Security Law and the actions taken by the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong could negatively impact the company’s personnel, finances, reputation and operations,” May said in January.
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May went on to warn that “companies need to be aware that the risks faced in mainland China are now increasingly evident here in Hong Kong.”
A man walks past the US Consulate in Hong Kong on Monday, March 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, file)
May’s comments outraged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officialswho for years tried to quell criticism of their regime’s management of the island.
Senior CCP diplomat Liu Guangyuan reportedly met with Mei after the comments, complaining about the consul’s assessment of Hong Kong.
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FILE – Chinese Ambassador to Poland Liu Guangyuan speaks to local reporters in Warsaw, Poland, Nov. 11. 5, 2019. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Liu also drew three red lines to the US Consul General and the US Consulate General in Hong Kong, which should not jeopardize China’s national security, not engage in political infiltration in Hong Kong, and not slander or harm Hong Kong’s development prospects,” About this The Associated Press was told at the diplomat’s office.
The Chinese government took action to crack down on opposition following protests in Hong Kong in 2019 against a proposed law allowing extradition to mainland China. Under national security laweffective in June 2020, the police cracked down on opposition politicians, activists and demonstrators.
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Liu Guangyuan, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, speaks at the International Symposium on 100 Years of the Chinese Communist Party at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on June 16, 2021 in Hong Kong, China (Li Zhihua/China News Service via Getty Images)
Since China introduced its national security lawAccording to the White House, at least 150 opposition politicians, activists and protesters have been taken into custody on politically motivated charges, including secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign state or outside elements.
Earlier this year, President Biden extended the Delayed Forced Departure (DED) program, which protects Hong Kong residents in the US from deportation due to “increased crackdown” by the Chinese government, less than two weeks before it expires.
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Protesters hold white sheets, some written in memory of the deadly Urumqi fire November 24, during a rally at the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong Tuesday, November. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bertha Wang)
Biden first extended the DED program to Hong Kong residents in August. December 5, 2021, which delayed the deportation of Hong Kong residents by 18 months.