Man arrested for spraying graffiti on US consulate
Money glitz | Trevor Tang 14 Jun 2023
Trevor Tang
Police arrested a man yesterday in connection with spray-painted anti-American graffiti on the wall and a gate of the US Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau in Central.
The word "hegemony" in English and the words "double standards" in simplified Chinese characters can be seen from video footage of the affected area.
It is understood that the white graffiti was painted at around midnight and the consulate staff reported the incident to police at 5am.
The words were sprayed below a US consulate sign and below a US State Department seal on a main black gate. The writing was initially hidden with black plastic bags by guards and later painted over in black.
Sources said that the suspect, aged 47 and jobless, was from Shandong Province and came to Hong Kong with a two-way permit. The police are investigating his motive for the crime which has been classified as criminal damage. It is believed the incident did not affect the operation of the consulate, as people were seen queuing outside the building as usual in the morning.
The US consulate general responded that America advocated for freedom of speech. While the consulate does not endorse acts of property damage, they believed that everyone has the right to peacefully express their viewpoints - including those who hold opposing opinions with the US. The consulate also appreciated the Hong Kong police force's swift response to the incident.
The incident happened amid a tense Sino-US relationship over issues including Taiwan and trade friction.
Chinese officials often condemn the US for hegemony and double standards over issues such as human rights and matters relating to Taiwan, which China claims sovereignty over.
This is not the first time that the US consulate in Hong Kong was vandalized.
On August 18, 2019, a 37-year-old man spray-painted four Chinese characters on the gate of the consulate, translating to "China will succeed."
He was found by the guard before finishing and was later imprisoned for four weeks for property damage.
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