Chinese officials formally objected to a US security warning issued to American citizens in Hong Kong. The diplomatic confrontation stems from new Hong Kong security enforcement rules requiring citizens to provide device passwords to authorities.
BEIJING – A high-ranking Chinese diplomat in Hong Kong confronted the top US official in the territory this week over America’s public warning regarding Hong Kong’s updated security enforcement measures, according to Beijing’s Foreign Ministry.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office announced late Saturday that Commissioner Cui Jianchun held a meeting with US Consul General Julie Eadeh on March 27. During the discussion, Cui conveyed Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” and demanded that the United States cease meddling in Hong Kong matters and China’s domestic issues “in any form.”
The diplomatic tension arose after Hong Kong recently modified its national security enforcement procedures earlier this month. Under the revised regulations, individuals involved in national security cases now face criminal charges if they decline to surrender passwords or refuse to help authorities decrypt electronic devices.
Following these regulatory changes, the US Consulate General in Hong Kong released a security advisory on March 26. The alert instructed American citizens to reach out to the Consulate if they face arrest or detention under the new security enforcement measures.
The US Consulate General has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the diplomatic meeting.
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