'Curbs On US Envoy A Disregard Of Promise To HK'

The United States’ consul general in Hong Kong said on Tuesday that Beijing’s new restrictions on engagements with local officials is a "disregard of its own promises to the people of Hong Kong" and a failure to live up to One Country, Two Systems commitment.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the consul general said it was a “retaliatory” move on the part of Beijing, in light of Washington’s latest additional requirements on Chinese diplomats working in the US.

The statement said there are no restrictions on the staff from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States and they are free to meet with anyone without approval while reports said SAR officials have been asked not to engage with American diplomats here.

Beijing’s latest restrictions showed “the [People’s Republic of China’s] disregard for its own promises to the people of Hong Kong, individual freedoms, and diplomatic norms”, it said.

“It also points to Beijing’s failure to live up to its ‘One Country Two Systems’ commitment. Hong Kong has benefited for years from open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. Beijing’s effort to limit dialogue is harmful to all sides,” the statement added.

The consulate also noted that the restriction is only applicable to the consulate general and not to other diplomatic staff here.

A tit-for-tat dispute over foreign missions flared up in July when Washington ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, prompting Beijing to shutter the American presence in Chengdu.

China's latest move came days after Washington announced new restrictions on staff working for Beijing's foreign missions, such as a requirement to seek approval for university visits or meetings with local officials.