Hong Kong centrist Third Side party plans US visit to ‘explain the situation’ in city and address any security law misunderstandings

Third Side vice-chairman Casper Wong reveals plan after the group’s leaders meet Gregory May, the US consul general in Hong Kong and Macau
He says US diplomat responded positively to potential trip by a ‘youth exchange delegation’ in the latter half of year

Hong Kong politics

Natalie Wong

Published: 7:30am, 3 May 2024

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A centrist Hong Kong political party is planning to send a delegation to the United States later this year to explain the local situation and address any misunderstandings arising from the enactment of the city’s domestic national security law.

Third Side vice-chairman Casper Wong Chun-long revealed the plan on Thursday after the group’s core leaders met US consul general in Hong Kong and Macau Gregory May.

Wong said the US diplomat responded positively to the potential trip by a “youth exchange delegation” in the latter half of 2024 and agreed to connect the Hong Kong politicians with American counterparts who had been following the city’s development.

A photo provided by the party showed the lunch meeting was also attended by Roxie Houge, chief of the US consulate’s economic and political section, and consul Andrew Riplinger. Third Side chairman and lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen was also present.

“Hong Kong’s politics won’t be the main focus in our plans, but we are committed to explaining the situation in Hong Kong after the enactment of Article 23 and dispel any misunderstandings,” Wong told the Post.

He was referring to the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance which came into effect on March 23 and was mandated under Article 23 of the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

Casper Wong says strengthening people-to-people relations is the way forward. Photo: Nathan Tsui

Washington earlier announced it was planning new visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials in response to the law, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the legislation undermined the city’s “promised high degree of autonomy”.

Wong said they made it clear at Thursday’s meeting that any further sanctions or restrictions on the city would be “meaningless” in practice and only hurt mutual economic interests.

“Hong Kong has to move on and focus on its role as an international hub. We believe that strengthening people-to-people relations is the way forward, and we can be a part of the solution,” he said.

Wong said the US diplomats struck a positive tone about a potential visit and expressed eagerness to connect them to politicians, think tanks and private enterprises based in Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

The Third Side has positioned itself as a centrist group in the opposition-less Legislative Council overhauled by Beijing.

Tik, the sole non-establishment lawmaker in Legco, supported the passage of the Article 23 legislation and said it would provide better national security safeguards.

The party had also planned to visit Japan and Germany but the trips were postponed due to multiple reasons, Wong said.

He said the US diplomats also asked about a recent wave of restaurant closures and brain drain-related trends.

The US consulate in Hong Kong and Macau has been approached for comments.

The Post earlier reported that the passing of the domestic national security law had heightened fears of repercussions against those closely involved in the legislation, prompting some political and business heavyweights to rule out trips to the US in coming months.

The ordinance spans 39 offences divided into five categories: treason; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection, and acts with seditious intention; sabotage; external interference; and theft of state secrets and espionage.

Several Western governments, the United Nations and advocacy groups have criticised the law as vague and raised concerns about the potential erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, but Beijing dismissed their comments with strongly worded statements.