On May 7th, the US think tank organization, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), released a new research report criticizing the serious erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy by the Chinese Communist Party, calling on the US government to reassess its policy towards Hong Kong. On the 9th, US Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau, Gregory May, urged the Hong Kong government to withdraw the wanted notices for overseas democracy activists and release prisoners such as Jimmy Lai and defendants in the democratic primaries case. He emphasized that the United States will fully engage in Hong Kong affairs regardless of what unfolds in the future.
The CSIS report points out that while Hong Kong still retains some degree of autonomy, such as differences in lifestyle compared to other jurisdictions in mainland China, the overall trend clearly shows a further erosion of autonomy in almost all areas, including legal and political systems, civil society, and the environment for corporations and investors.
The report suggests that the US government should sanction officials from mainland China and Hong Kong, gradually phase out the differential treatment and policy exemptions given to Hong Kong compared to China, and view Hong Kong as just another city in China. It also recommends strengthening actual interactions between the US and Hong Kong, extending Hong Kong’s uniqueness and residual autonomy under Chinese rule as long as possible.
On May 9th at 8 a.m. Eastern Time, CSIS held an online seminar titled “The Erosion of Hong Kong’s Autonomy since 2020: Implications for the United States,” discussing the report’s findings and the latest situation in Hong Kong.
Gregory May was the first speaker at the seminar, sharing his observations after spending a year and a half in Hong Kong. He highlighted the three components of US-Hong Kong relations: personal relationships, productive commercial and trade cooperation between the US and Hong Kong, and political relations between the US and Hong Kong government. He noted that the third component is the most challenging due to severe disagreements between the US and China on human rights issues and whether China violated its commitments to Hong Kong.
May mentioned that G7 foreign ministers have discussed the changes in Hong Kong, acknowledging the hundreds of Hong Kong people detained, some facing severe penalties simply for peacefully expressing political views. He criticized the Hong Kong police for attempting to suppress and limit the freedom of speech of Hong Kong people abroad by issuing wanted notices for overseas democracy activists, intimidating American citizens and residents, damaging the relationship between Hong Kong and the US.
“During my tenure, nothing has been more damaging to US-Hong Kong relations than the Hong Kong police’s attempt to enforce the National Security Law outside Hong Kong,” May said. He called the cross-border repression through rewards and intimidation of American citizens and residents unacceptable.
May urged the Hong Kong government to respect the spirit and letter of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, withdraw wanted notices for overseas democracy activists, release Jimmy Lai, defendants in the democratic primaries case, and others detained for peacefully expressing political views. He also mentioned that the US Consulate in Hong Kong celebrated its 180th anniversary last year and is determined to stay for another two centuries or longer, “No matter what the future holds, the United States is going to remain fully engaged in Hong Kong.”
“Hong Kong officials often complain about the ‘soft resistance’ of Hong Kong people – seeking quiet ways to express discontent with the government. Authorities, on the other hand, use pressure beyond the law to restrict the freedoms Hong Kong people once enjoyed, which I would call ‘soft repression’,” he said, citing examples such as registered organizations having their fundraising events canceled by venues under various pretexts, and political cartoonists suddenly being notified to stop publishing their works unreasonably.
“The resilience of the people of Hong Kong moves me deeply, and this should bring hope to all of us. Even in extremely difficult situations, many Hong Kong people are doing their utmost to restore and protect many things that make Hong Kong a special place,” he said, emphasizing that the open and inclusive genes of Hong Kong people are their greatest wealth.
May believes that maintaining friendship between Americans and Hong Kong people is his top priority, spending a lot of time promoting American education and encouraging American students to study in Hong Kong. Currently, around 6,000 Hong Kong students are studying at American universities, making Hong Kong one of the top 25 international sources of students, a fact he is very proud of. Hong Kong is also a good place for Americans to understand Chinese culture and history.
Regarding business and trade, May mentioned that since the last seminar in January 2023, fewer than 1,300 US companies are still doing business in Hong Kong, with no significant changes in the numbers. Looking at the trade figures between Hong Kong and the US, he believes that US companies still want to stay in Hong Kong, but both companies and individuals are concerned about the uncertainty brought by political changes, including the recently vague provisions regarding incitement, national security, external interference in Article 23 of the Basic Law.
Regarding the case of the injunction against the “Glory to Hong Kong” protest song, the Court of Appeal of the High Court issued a judgment on May 8, ruling in favor of the Secretary for Justice’s appeal and lifting the injunction. May finds the ruling worrisome, reflecting the continuous scrutiny of online content by the Hong Kong government, uncertain about when it will end and where the line is drawn.
As for the government stating that the “Fake News Law” will not be legislated temporarily, May sees it as good news. “However, whether or not there is a ‘Fake News Law,’ Hong Kong’s media is facing increasing control and restriction, with the media space continually shrinking.” Additionally, he believes that the internet remains largely free and open, one of Hong Kong’s biggest advantages compared to mainland China, hoping that the government can ensure this to maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
Former Chief Editor of Stand News, veteran media professional, and current Harvard University Nieman Fellow, Zhang Jieping, was invited as one of the speakers at the seminar, being the only Chinese participant. She believes that despite facing greater oppression than before, Hong Kong’s press freedom situation still fundamentally differs from mainland China. For example, Hong Kong does not have mainland China’s Great Firewall, providing a different environment for news production and dissemination.
Zhang pointed out that mainland China implements a strict “white list” system, where only Communist Party institutions on the list are qualified to report news. In contrast, even after 2020, Hong Kong can still freely register and establish media organizations and publishing houses; the only restriction is government press conferences, but general interviews and reports can still proceed freely.
Zhang believes that the so-called “red lines” in the Hong Kong media are very subtle, with no officially prohibited events to report, so Western media still have a relatively broad operating space in Hong Kong. Furthermore, after the shutdown of Apple Daily in 2021, approximately 10 to 15 small media organizations were newly established, focusing on investigative reporting, courtroom coverage, daily life, etc., indicating that there is still space for professional journalists. However, she acknowledges that the space for expressing opinions in Hong Kong is very narrow, and in the long run, the entire ecosystem has suffered irreversible damage.