China’s senior diplomat in Hong Kong recently held a meeting with the city’s top U.S. diplomat to formally protest a U.S. public alert concerning changes to Hong Kong’s security regulations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office issued a statement late Saturday detailing the encounter.
On March 27, Commissioner Cui Jianchun met with U.S. Consul General Julie Eadeh, expressing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the alert. Cui urged the United States to cease any interference in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal matters in all forms.
This diplomatic exchange follows amendments made earlier this month to Hong Kong’s enforcement rules under the national security framework. The new provisions criminalize the refusal to provide passwords or other decryption assistance to access electronic devices in national security investigations.
In reaction to these changes, the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong issued a security alert on March 26. The alert advised U.S. citizens to contact the Consulate if they are arrested or detained under the updated security enforcement rules.
When asked for comment, a U.S. Consulate spokesperson declined to discuss specifics of the diplomatic engagement.
