US to bar Hong Kong leader John Lee from summit, report says

The White House will bar Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu from attending a major economic summit in the US this fall, the Washington Post reported, citing three unidentified US officials familiar with the matter. 

The US is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in November. Lee and other top Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials were sanctioned by the US for their role in the crackdown on civil liberties in the city. Generally, US people or entities are banned from engaging with individuals on the list, unless an exemption is awarded. 

Neither Lee’s office nor the US consulate in Hong Kong immediately responded to a request for comment. 

The ban is likely to exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing, who have been sparring on issues from semiconductors to Taiwan. It also underscores the difficulty of the US engaging with sanctioned officials even as it seeks to reset the relationship. 

The move to block Lee from attending the APEC comes after the US State Department condemned the city’s arrest warrant for eight overseas activists that city officials alleged violated its Beijing-imposed national security law. Activists, including at least one of the wanted people, lobbied the US to ban Lee from attending the APEC meeting. 

It also comes as Hong Kong is set to decide whether to ban a controversial protest song from its internet Friday. 

That move could force Western tech firms such as Google to reconsider their presence in the finance hub. Wiping “Glory to Hong Kong” from the city’s internet would directly challenge the freedoms that differentiate the former British colony from mainland China. 

It would also raise the legal risks for Silicon Valley tech giants from Alphabet Inc. to Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. that quit the Chinese market years ago due to onerous censorship demands. 

Human Rights

Lee was sanctioned by the US in 2020 for “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy” shortly after a Beijing imposed sweeping national security law. The law has been used to crack down on political opposition in the city, which has also seen rules put in place to ensure only people loyal to Beijing can serve in government and media freedoms reined in. 

The US measures froze any assets Lee had in the US and prohibit anyone in the US from providing funds, goods or services to Lee unless an exemption is issued. The prohibitions do not specify any restrictions around attending events in the US or meeting with US officials and citizens. 

Last month, China called on the US to fulfill its “obligation” to allow Lee to visit the summit in San Francisco. 

“We believe the US will deliver on its commitments and make sure that representatives of all APEC members, including Hong Kong, China, will participate smoothly,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on June 8. 

The US has imposed a raft of sanctions on China in recent years, with curbs on officials issued as an expression of displeasure with Beijing’s policies. 

Earlier this year, China rebuffed a US request by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet with Defense Minister Li Shangfu at an event in Singapore they both later attended, thwarting efforts by Washington to step up discussions between the nations aimed at stabilizing ties. 

The reason for Beijing’s move was the sanctions that the Trump administration imposed on Li back when he oversaw an arms purchase from Russia. 

(Bloomberg)