The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong held a reception on Thursday (the 26th) to celebrate the Independence Day of the United States. Compared to last year, both the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Office in Hong Kong had downgraded their presence. This also led to a back-and-forth between Hong Kong and U.S. officials. Rupert Murdoch reiterated his concerns about the treatment of Next Media founder Jimmy Lai and other "political prisoners." The Hong Kong government later issued a 1,000-word statement strongly condemning U.S. Consul General Rupert Murdoch's smear campaign against the Hong Kong National Security Law.
U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, Rupert Murdoch, will be transferred to the position of Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in China next month. This was his last appearance at the U.S. Independence Day reception in Hong Kong in that capacity. In his speech, he thanked Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau, for his engagement with the American business community and thanked Bao Haibin, Director of the Policy Research Office of the Commissioner's Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He noted that over the past three years, both sides have maintained an open and frank dialogue despite differences. He noted that the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, established in 1843, is Hong Kong's oldest diplomatic mission. He said that the relationship between the two countries has endured through ups and downs, and expressed optimism about overcoming new challenges together.
However, when it came to Yau Ying-wah's speech, he strongly opposed the US imposing additional tariffs on Hong Kong, calling it "illogical" and demanding that it be corrected as soon as possible. He also said that Hong Kong has always been a free port, and quoted a report that Hong Kong's competitiveness ranked third in the world. He said that Hong Kong is very valuable to American companies and will continue to welcome investment from companies around the world, including the United States.
