Copyright scmp
Beijing’s top diplomat in Hong Kong has laid down the scope of engagement for the new US consul general in the city, urging her not to interfere in local matters and the country’s internal affairs, while playing a constructive role in the development of China-US relations. Cui Jianchun, the commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, also told newly appointed US Consul General Julie Eadeh that Washington should lift sanctions concerning the city during her courtesy call on Tuesday. “Commissioner Cui urged the US to lift sanctions on Hong Kong, and asked US Consul General Julie Eadeh to perform her duties in Hong Kong in a manner consistent with her diplomatic status, and not to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs,” his office said. Cui also urged Eadeh to play a constructive role in developing China-US relations and those between her country and Hong Kong, as well as in promoting the city’s prosperity and stability, according to the statement. It added that Eadeh said she would lead the US consulate “to advance a positive agenda and promote exchanges and cooperation” between the United States and Hong Kong. Cui’s move to lay down the scope of engagement for Eadeh appeared more assertive compared with past practice, when former commissioner Liu Guangyuan received a courtesy call from Eadeh’s predecessor, Gregory May, in 2022. Back then, the statement from the office stated that Liu had briefed May on the “great significance and major outcomes of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”. Liu and May also had an “in-depth exchange of views” on China-US relations and the situation in Hong Kong, among other things. But Liu drew three red lines for May the following year, after the US diplomat said Beijing’s interpretation of the national security law could further undermine Hong Kong’s judicial independence. In a meeting with May, Liu said the US should not endanger China’s national security, nor engage in political infiltration in Hong Kong, nor slander or damage the city’s development prospects. The warnings prompted the US consulate to issue a defiant statement vowing to continue expressing its concerns over the “erosion” of the city’s high degree of autonomy. Eadeh arrived in Hong Kong last month after receiving Beijing’s approval as the new US consul general for the city and Macau. She took over from May, who left Hong Kong to assume duties as the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Beijing. Eadeh’s appointment has been closely watched by the diplomatic community in Hong Kong, with many expecting that it would cause concern in Beijing after she was caught in controversy for meeting with opposition activists in the city during the 2019 anti-government protests. Last month, Beijing called on Eadeh to uphold the principle of non-interference and respect the rule of law in Hong Kong, after the announcement that she had assumed the role with the central government’s approval. China watcher Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said Beijing had been wary of Eadeh due to her past engagment with the city’s opposition activists. The recent welcome reception held by the US consulate for Eadeh, attended by some opposition figures, also touched a nerve in Beijing, he added. “Beijing has approved her appointment, but that doesn’t mean that it is not concerned. Cui’s remarks serve as a warning to her,” he said. The Post has reached out to the consulate for comment. Eadeh previously served as the US consul general in Istanbul. Before taking that role in 2022, she was the spokeswoman for the US mission in Ankara. From 2010 to 2012, she served at the US consulate in Shanghai, where she worked on environmental, science, technology, health and energy issues.
