HONG KONG: After he said that freedoms were eroding in Hong Kong, US Consul-General Gregory May was warned by a Chinese official that he should not interfere in the city's affairs and should not cross political "red lines."
Last month, May gave a video address to the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, expressing concerns over diminished freedoms in the former British colony, and its reputation as a business center depended on its commitment to international standards and the rule of law.
Commissioner Liu Guangyuan met with May recently to express objections to his "inappropriate" words and deeds, said Hong Kong's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office.
While the US consulate does not generally comment on private diplomatic meetings, it will not hesitate to express publicly or privately the US' deep concern over the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy, said an unidentified US consulate spokesperson.
In his video address, May also cited a decision by China's legislature that enables Hong Kong's executive branch to decide if foreign lawyers can be involved in national security cases in the city.
The decision was made after the city's top court allowed pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai, who faces collusion charges, to hire a British lawyer to defend him in his case.
After the US official questioned the legal decision made in Beijing, and other changes in Hong Kong's governance, Liu's office also accused May of slandering the rule of law and freedom in Hong Kong.
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