‘Shameless’: only US politicians will benefit if Hong Kong trade offices are closed, says John Lee

Chief Executive John Lee slams Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act and accuses US lawmakers of ‘ugly political tactics’

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Chief Executive John Lee (left) also accused US lawmakers of smearing the city. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 5:17pm, 14 Sep 2024Updated: 10:09pm, 14 Sep 2024

Hong Kong’s leader has warned that American businesses will “foot the bill” and only politicians will reap any gains if the US Congress pushes ahead with a bill to shut the city’s trade offices in the country.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday also urged the United States to stop disrupting normal business activities and said that Beijing would respond with strong countermeasures should Washington dig in its heels.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this week that could lead to the closure of Hong Kong’s three Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in the country, with lawmakers questioning whether the city remained sufficiently autonomous to justify having separate representation from Beijing following the enactment of the national security law in 2020.

“I strongly condemn the US House of Representatives for slandering our national security legislation and smearing the human rights situation of Hong Kong through the so-called Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act,” Lee said.

“It is purely out of political motives to suppress the development of China and Hong Kong. These are some very shameless and ugly political tactics.”

Lee accused the US of using the name of national security to attack its competitors, especially China and Hong Kong. He said the US had some of the toughest and broadest national security legislation in the world.