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Opinion | Negative US narrative hurts Hong Kong relations and bewilders many
- Whatever US officials and think tanks have to say of Hong Kong’s autonomy, the city’s courts continue to follow due process
- Americans who travel to Hong Kong in spite of a recent heightened alert will realise they are much safer in the city than in their own country
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Along with several friends from Hong Kong and abroad, I viewed the online broadcast of an event by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). This broadcast followed their report, “The Erosion of Hong Kong’s Autonomy Since 2020: Implications for the United States”.
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CSIS is a prominent Washington think tank focusing on US foreign policy and national security issues. It provides strategic insights and policy solutions to the US government, international institutions and the private sector.
Scott Kennedy, trustee chair in Chinese business and economics, and two of his colleagues visited Hong Kong in September 2023 to conduct their research. They met officials, former officials, business community members, investors, scholars, journalists and non-governmental organisations.
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One can only assume that the trio felt utterly safe and comfortable conducting their research, notwithstanding their apparent grave concerns about the national security law introduced by the central government in 2020.
US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau Gregory May was the keynote speaker online. He endorsed the strength of people-to-people relationships between the US and Hong Kong, pointed out that the number of US firms in Hong Kong remains stable and highlighted that the US government was concerned about the political relationship and alleged erosion of freedoms.
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