Photo: CFP

Both the Chinese central government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) voiced the strong opposition and condemnation toward the latest remarks made by the US Consul General Gregory May in a recent interview, saying that the remarks seriously deviated from the basic professional ethics and code of conduct of consular officials, providing more evidence of US interference in Hong Kong affairs. 

In his first interview since taking up the post in 2022, May cautioned that connectivity issues and data security concerns had prompted some American companies to use "burner phone and laptops" when visiting Hong Kong, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The US diplomat also suggested that "release Jimmy Lai and these other people facing jail for political expression" would do more to improve the city's image than "all the financial summits and tourism promotion campaigns put together." 

The interview came as the US government, along with some Western politicians, have stepped up efforts to undermine the HKSAR government's efforts to address loopholes in safeguarding the national security in Hong Kong. The US State Department said in a statement on Wednesday local time that it is closely monitoring Hong Kong's development of national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law and its implications for US citizens, investments, and companies operating in Hong Kong.  

The Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR expressed strong dissatisfaction, resolute opposition and strong condemnation on Friday night toward May's attack and defamation targeting the national security law (NSL) for Hong Kong and the Article 23 legislation in media. 

The US official attacked Hong Kong's business environment and freedom of rights, incites American companies to divest and leave Hong Kong, which grossly interferes with China's internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, a spokesperson from the commissioner's office said. 

Since the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong, the law effectively prevents and punishes illegal acts that endanger national security, effectively safeguarding Hong Kong's investment and business environment, the spokesperson said. 

Hong Kong remains a major destination for business investment, favored by capital, and a hub for regional and global talent. The Article 23 legislation will further strengthen the defense line of the HKSAR in safeguarding national security, enhance the stability of Hong Kong society and the certainty of the rule of law, further leverage Hong Kong's unique status and advantages, the spokesperson noted. 

In response to May's call for releasing secessionist Jimmy Lai and other anti-China rioters who face trials, the HKSAR government said in a statement in late Friday that such suggestions run contrary to the spirit of the rule of law. It is extremely inappropriate for the US Consul General to make unwarranted comments on criminal trials which are ongoing in the HKSAR courts, and even attempt to compare the Lai's case with the efforts of the HKSAR government in promoting the city's governance, according to the statement. 

May disregarded strong public opinion across various sectors of Hong Kong society supporting the swift completion of the Article 23, ignored the fact that Hong Kong's investment and business environment continues to improve, the spokesperson stressed. 

By making irresponsible remarks in the media, May interfered with HKSAR's constitutional duty to uphold national security and intervened in the lawful trial of national security cases such as the Lai's case by the local judicial institutions. This seriously deviates from the basic professional ethics and code of conduct of consular officials, providing yet another solid evidence of US interference in Hong Kong affairs and undermining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, the spokesperson said. 

"The US diplomat openly supporting and backing up anti-China and chaos-mongering figures, and arrogantly demanding the release of national security criminal Jimmy Lai, further confirms that Jimmy Lai is a foreign agent," Willy Fu, director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and vice-president of the Hong Kong Basic Law Education Association, told the Global Times on Saturday. 

The suggestion of using so-called "burner phone and laptops" by American citizens upon arriving in Hong Kong is simply an act of paranoia, painting all with the same brush and attempting to stir unnecessary panic among the public, Fu said. 

In reality, the US continuously strengthens measures, laws, and penalties to safeguard national security, and doesn't allow other countries to defend themselves, highlighting its bullying tactics, the expert noted. 

Some lawmakers in Hong Kong also hoped that the HKSAR government can complete the Article 23 legislative work as soon as possible. 

"The longer the legislative process takes, the more opportunities foreign anti-China forces have to attack, and the potential impact will be greater," lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan was quoted as saying in media reports on Friday. 

Considering that the public consultation on the Article 23 legislation has been completed, the government should expedite the process and submit the draft ordinance to the Legislative Council for review as soon as possible, striving for swift passage to silence those anti-China forces, she said.