On May 9, Gregory May, the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau, urged the Hong Kong government to withdraw the arrest bounties on overseas pro-democracy activists, release Jimmy Lai, and the 47 pro-democracy and other persons in detention, at an online conference organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank. He also made it clear that no matter what happens in the future, the United States will remain fully engaged in Hong Kong.
On May 7, CSIS released its latest research report, criticizing the CCP for seriously eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy and asking the U.S. government to reassess its policy toward Hong Kong. The report points out that even if Hong Kong still possesses a certain degree of autonomy, like the way of life in Hong Kong is qualitatively different from other parts under mainland jurisdictions, the overall trend is clearly leaning toward further erosion of autonomy in almost all areas, such as the legal and political systems, civil society, operation environment for companies and investors.
The report recommends that the U.S. government should sanction officials from mainland China and Hong Kong, gradually eliminate the different treatment and policy exemptions granted to Hong Kong (as a separate entity from China), and treat Hong Kong as just another city of China; consolidate the real interaction between the United States and Hong Kong, in such a way as to prolong as long as possible Hong Kong’s uniqueness under CCP rule with its residual autonomy.
Extra-Terrestrial NSL Enforcement Most Impactful on US-HK Relations
Mr. May believes that the relationship between the United States and Hong Kong consists of three components, namely the people-to-people relationship, which he comments is very good, U.S. productive business and trade cooperation with Hong Kong, and the political relationship with the Hong Kong government which he describes as the most challenging, where severe differences exist regarding human rights and China’s violations of its treaty obligations with respect to Hong Kong.Mr. May mentioned that the G7 foreign ministers have all spoken very forcefully about the changes here in Hong Kong, knowing that hundreds of Hong Kong people are in detention, and some of them are awaiting potentially very harsh sentences simply for the peaceful expression of their political views. In this respect, the United States will be closely watching the expected verdicts of the 47 defendants involved in the “Primary Election” case at the end of this month and their sentencing later this year. He also criticized that the Hong Kong authorities are now attempting to limit Hong Kong people’s freedom of expression outside of Hong Kong’s borders by arresting overseas pro-democracy figures, intimidating American citizens and residents, and harming the relationship between Hong Kong and the United States.
“Nothing has done more damage to the U.S. Hong Kong relationship during my tenure here than the Hong Kong police’s attempt to extra-territorially enforce the National Security Law within the borders of the United States,” Mr. May said. “This transnational repression through the use of bounties and intimidation on U.S. citizens and U.S. residents is unacceptable.”
Mr. May urged the Hong Kong government to respect the spirit and wordings of the “Sino-British Joint Declaration” and the “Basic Law,” revoke the arrest bounties for overseas pro-democracy activists, and release Jimmy Lai, the 47 defendants in the pro-democracy primary elections, and others who were detained in peacefully expressed political opinions.
Resilience of Hong Kong People Is Impressive
“Hong Kong leaders frequently complain about what they often call ‘soft resistance’—that is, Hongkongers seeking quiet ways to show dissatisfaction with government policies. In fact, what I have seen in my still limited time here is the authorities’ increasing use of pressure outside the legal system to curtail the freedoms that Hongkongers once enjoyed. I would call it “soft repression.” He gave examples of legally registered groups having their leases temporarily canceled under various pretexts during fundraising events, and political cartoonists being suddenly and without explanation, informed that they could not publish their works.“It is the resilience of the Hong Kong people that I have been so struck with, and it should give us hope for the future. Even in very difficult circumstances, so many Hongkongers are working hard where they can, to restore and preserve the many things that have made Hong Kong become a special place.” He believes that the genes of openness and inclusiveness are the greatest wealth of the people of Hong Kong.
US Enterprises in HK Worried by the Vague Interpretation of Article 23
In terms of business and trade, Mr. May said that since the last forum in January 2023, there are under 1,300 U.S. companies operating in Hong Kong, and the number has not changed greatly since then. Judging from the trade volume between Hong Kong and the United States, he believes that American companies still want to stay in Hong Kong. Still, both the companies and individuals are worried about the uncertainty caused by political changes, including the recently passed Article 23 legislation of the Basic Law, which “includes some vaguely defined provisions such as sedation, state secrets, external interference. All of these raise questions.”Ban on ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ a Cause for Concern
Regarding the recent (May 8) grant of an injunction by the Court of Appeal against the anti-extradition song “Glory to Hong Kong,” allowing the Department of Justice’s appeal, Mr. May believes that the ruling is worrying. This reflects that the Hong Kong government continues to censor content on the Internet, and nobody knows when it will end and where the lines will be drawn.As for the Hong Kong government’s recent plan to pause the enactment of the “Fake News Law” for the time being, Mr. May thinks it is a piece of good news that should be acknowledged. “All that said, with or without a “Fake News Law” here, Hong Kong’s media is under increasing control on restrictions on what they can report. That is very evident when you hear week to week, month to month, the media space is definitely contracting.” In addition, he hopes that the Internet here remains free and open, which is one of Hong Kong’s biggest advantages over mainland China. He hopes that the Hong Kong government can maintain this to ensure that Hong Kong remains competitive.
