By Hong Kong Free Press

Copyright hongkongfp

Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week, Beijing amplified attacks on new US Consul General Julie Eadeh after she reportedly invited pro-democracy figures to her inaugural reception.

Also: more than a year after shelving the municipal waste-charging scheme, the Hong Kong government confirmed it would not be implemented under the current administration – marking a major policy reversal.

And as Super Typhoon Ragasa battered the city, social media lit up with heart-warming clips of birds seeking refuge outside homes – alongside unexpected throwbacks, from an old government sign to a decades-old Jackie Chan movie ad.

| BEIJING’S WARNINGS FOR TOP US ENVOY

Julie Eadeh, the new US consul general in Hong Kong and Macau, was officially recognised by Beijing this week – despite her controversial history in the city. At the height of the 2019 extradition bill protests, she was accused by pro-Beijing media of “colluding” with activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law after meeting them in public.

Upon her arrival last month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned her to respect China’s sovereignty, Hong Kong’s rule of law, and the principle of non-interference. Since then, her moves have been closely scrutinised.

Her inaugural reception sparked a fresh backlash when she reportedly invited former chief secretary Anson Chan and veteran democrat Emily Lau. Lau confirmed her attendance at the reception with a photo on social media this week, though neither the consulate nor Chan has said whether the city’s former second-highest official was present.

When asked to confirm Chan’s attendance, a spokesperson for the consulate said: “Engaging with a wide range of individuals across society is routine and consistent with standard diplomatic practice observed by representatives of governments around the world.”

As Super Typhoon Ragasa lashed Hong Kong on Wednesday, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office amplified criticism by sharing a report from Beijing-backed media group Ta Kung Wen Wei (TKWW) on a pro-China protest outside the US consulate a day earlier. The office also shared an article by Wen Wei Po, part of TKWW, accusing Eadeh of hosting “anti-China” figures. The report ended with a warning: “Those who still wish to serve as agents for external forces and act as anti-China pawns should watch themselves.”

By Thursday, Ta Kung Pao, also a subsidiary of TKWW, had piled on, urging Eadeh not to “take up your old tricks again.” The commentary revived the 2019 controversy and branded her the “boss” of Hong Kong’s “anti-China forces,” claiming she was “deliberately chosen” by Washington with “extraordinary intentions.”

Her posting could prove even more fraught than that of her predecessor, Gregory May, who described US-Hong Kong ties as “testy with room for dialogue” in an interview with HKFP in June before his departure.

Pro-Beijing groups have long staged protests outside the consulate, a trend that intensified after 2019. Washington has repeatedly been accused of interference and of backing figures like jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, while sanctioning officials linked to Hong Kong’s national security crackdown.

| GOV’T BACKTRACKS ON WASTE TAX

Waste charge scrapped: After years of delays, the Hong Kong government confirmed this week that the municipal waste charge scheme would not be implemented under the current administration.

Officials cited “a global trade war” and “an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape,” saying they needed to “adapt strategy” on waste reduction and recycling to “maximise overall social benefits.”

The scheme, first proposed in 2005 and approved by lawmakers in 2021, aimed to cut landfill waste by requiring people to buy designated rubbish bags. Originally set to launch on April 1, 2024, the rollout was pushed to August that year, following “public concerns.” A limited trial began in April last year, but the government froze the plan the next month after residents described it as a “public disturbance.”

Former journalist and commentator Lam Miu-yan noted on Tuesday that Environment Bureau officials repeatedly delayed updates and had yet to disclose the total cost of the shelved scheme. As of May 2024, the Environmental Protection Department had 170 million unused bags in stock, according to HK01, costing taxpayers HK$74 million to produce. No updated figures have been released.

| LOCAL MEDIA MONITOR

‘No urgency’ to UK’s proposed immigration changes: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s proposal sparked concern among Hongkongers this week. He suggested that migrants should no longer qualify for permanent settlement in the UK after five years if his right-wing nationalist party wins the next election.

The goal, Farage said, is to prevent 800,000 people from being given Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), a key step on the path to British citizenship.

The proposal came against the backdrop of anti-immigration protests across Britain. Meanwhile, the governing Labour Party floated in a May white paper the idea of extending the residency threshold from five years to 10, though it did not specify whether this would affect the BNO visa scheme, introduced in 2021 in response to the Beijing-imposed national security law in Hong Kong.

Lawmaker Regina Ip – Hong Kong’s former security chief – dismissed the risk as “not urgent,” according to Ming Pao’s political column. She said any change to residency rights would require UK parliamentary approval, which may not be granted.

Ip pointed out that Farage has yet to take the reins of government, and his remarks could be “all talk.” She also dismissed fears that migrants would be “driven out” under the proposals.

On whether Hong Kong authorities should encourage returnees from the UK, Ip said she welcomed the idea in principle, but stressed it would depend on individual circumstances, such as children’s education, employment opportunities, and selling property in Britain.

Ming Pao’s column also highlighted remarks from former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, who wrote on social media that the British government “of course” has the right to revoke its promise of citizenship for Hongkongers holding BNO visas. Public opinion shifts over time, he said, and the UK Parliament holds “supreme power” to decide.

Leung added that Britain has already been “gradually stripping” Hongkongers of their right of abode as far back as the 1970s.

Since becoming an MP, Farage has been spotted in Hong Kong, reportedly visiting his son, who emigrated to the city for work.

| SOCIAL MEDIA MONITOR

From window art to a blast from the past: As Super Typhoon Ragasa battered Hong Kong this week with hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, and high tides, residents turned to social media to share how they braced for the storm.

In Hong Kong, it’s common to see masking tape plastered on windows and glass doors in the shape of an X or an asterisk during typhoons – an old practice believed to prevent shattering.

On Threads, some residents took the tradition to new creative heights. One user taped a character from the hit Japanese manga series Chiikawa, while another crafted a portrait of Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-shing and Chinese characters saying: “Go to work on time.”

The Li-themed art was a tongue-in-cheek nod to the long-running joke about the mythical “Li’s field,” said to shield the city from the worst of tropical cyclones, much to the dismay of employees secretly hoping for a T8 signal and a day off.

Another account, @jeffy0930 on Threads, went viral after documenting a turtle dove that sought refuge on an air-conditioning unit outside his window just before the typhoon hit.

Videos showed the bird calmly nesting through the storm, having already laid two eggs. The posts struck a chord with many, prompting others to share photos of birds huddling outside their own windows during Ragasa.

By Friday, @jeffy0930 updated followers that the dove and its eggs remained in place – and promised to keep posting updates as the family grows.

Super Typhoon Ragasa didn’t just leave fallen trees in its wake – it also stirred up some unexpected nostalgia.

Gale-force winds blew the cover off an old Urban Council sign near Chai Wan MTR station. The municipal body, established in the British colonial era, was disbanded in 1999 – two years after the handover. Netizens joked that the uncovered sign was like stumbling upon a “historic monument,” since it had been hidden for years beneath a Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) sign.

According to photos shared on Threads, government staff quickly re-covered the relic with a fresh LCSD sign within a day.

The typhoon also peeled back time at the Cross Harbour Tunnel, where an advertisement for a 2001 Jackie Chan movie, The Accidental Spy, reappeared. The same ad resurfaced during Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 – prompting netizens to marvel that it somehow survived storms for more than two decades.

| HKFP PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the city’s highest tropical cyclone signal at 2.40am on Wednesday, hours before Super Typhoon Ragasa pummelled Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds, storm surges and flooding.

From an uprooted tree in Oi Man Estate, a public housing estate in Ho Man Tin, to damaged waterfront restaurants in Tseung Kwan O and a flooded seaside hotel in Aberdeen, Ragasa left a trail of destruction across the city.

👉 See our full coverage of the typhoon and the aftermath.

| OLD BUT GOLD

In June last year, we spoke with former undersecretary for the environment Christine Loh on the waste-charging scheme after it was halted by the government. “There are lots of people who are ready. Hong Kong should settle for that and feel encouraged, and use that as a starting point,” she said.

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