On June 13, at around 5 am, a man was seen loitering outside the entrance of the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau. He spray-painted white paint on the gate and the wall outside the consulate with simplified Chinese characters “双标” (double standards) and the English word “hegemony.” The man was later intercepted and arrested on suspicion of “criminal damage” after a preliminary investigation.
As reported, the suspect, surnamed Wen, is a 47-year-old man from Shandong Province, China, holding an Exit-entry Permit (Two-way Permit) to Hong Kong. The police seized a white spray paint at the scene and are investigating the motive of the suspect’s crime.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement affirming that although it does not support the destruction of property, the United States upholds freedom of speech and believes everyone can peacefully express their opinions, including those the U.S. may not agree with. The statement also expressed serious concerns about human rights and basic freedoms in Hong Kong being continuously eroded, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly.
