Beijing and Hong Kong hit out at US envoy over ‘one country, two systems’ comments

Governments attack US Consul General Gregory May after he says separate systems exist only in economic sense

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US diplomat Gregory May speaks at a reception held to celebrate America’s Independence Day in June. “It is important, I think, that Americans who come here realise that you need to be careful what you say,” he said recently. Photo: Sun Yeung

Published: 9:14pm, 31 Jul 2024Updated: 10:00pm, 31 Jul 2024

Beijing and Hong Kong have hit out at the United States’ top envoy in the city after he told foreign media that the “one country, two systems” governing principle existed only in the “economic realm”.

The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday US Consul General for Hong Kong and Macau Gregory May should abide by the “basic professional ethics and codes of conduct of consular officials”.

“We advise Consul General May to abide by his duty, change his ways, give up his intention of ‘using Hong Kong to contain China’ as soon as possible and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs,” a spokesman said.

He argued that May should do more “practical things to promote cooperation” between Hong Kong and Washington instead of “spending time fabricating lies and attacking and badmouthing the city”.

The office said Hong Kong had returned to stability following the enactment of national security laws and residents enjoyed their rights in accordance with the law, adding there was no absolute freedom in the world.

The fiery criticism stemmed from May’s recent interview with CBS News in which he reviewed the changes in Hong Kong over the past five years after the months-long anti-government protests in 2019. Beijing imposed a national security law on the city the following year in response to the unrest.

May argued in the interview that Hong Kong was “fundamentally changed”, with people’s rights and freedoms being taken away.