The US State Department has revised part of a statement sent to Congress, in which it said Washington had planned to invite Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in San Francisco, Reuters has reported. Lee has been subject to US sanctions since 2020.
Last Wednesday, a group of bipartisan US lawmakers – Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Chris Smith, and Democratic Senators Jim McGovern and Jeff Merkley – urged Washington not to invite John Lee, whom they called “human rights’ abuser,” to the inter-governmental summit in November.
“Because of the Hong Kong government’s violent suppression of peaceful protestors in 2019, inviting Chief Executive Lee to attend the APEC meeting sends a terrible signal to human rights violators worldwide, ” the four US lawmakers said in a co-signed letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
They cited a written response from Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February, which said that ” [t]he United States plans to invite Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee to attend APEC.”
“As the host, we believe it is important to foster regional economic dialogue” and for US and China to “work together to maintain global macro-economic stability, ” Sherman wrote to Congress.
On Tuesday, however, a state department spokesperson said Sherman’s written response had been “incorrect.”
“An incorrect version of this answer was inadvertently transmitted to Congress. The Department regrets the error,” the spokesperson said. “No decisions about invitations have been made” and the all APEC participations should obey US laws and regulations, “including with respect to sanctions,” they added.
HKFP has reached out the US State Department and the Chief Executive’s Office for comment.
Lee has been subject to US Treasury Department sanctions since 2020 “for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Hong Kong,” according to the department. Those placed under sanctions are not allowed to enter the US unless granted a waiver by the government.
US lawmakers also criticised their government’s earlier comments, saying it would give China “disproportional representation” at APEC.
In May 2020, the US declared that it no longer considered Hong Kong to be autonomous from China, following Beijing’s announcement that it would draft the national security law. Enacted in June 2020, the legislation outlawed subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts. The authorities say it has restored stability to the city following months-long pro-democracy protests, but critics claim it has led to an erosion of freedoms.
Hong Kong joined APEC as a member economy in 1991.
Lee said on Tuesday that Hong Kong, “as a representative of Hong Kong, China” will attend APEC with accordance of the meeting’s regulations this year. He also said that APEC “doesn’t belong to any country or economy” and it had a responsibility to host all the members.
Last month, Lee did not directly respond to a question from HKFP about whether he would attend the November APEC meeting.
“Hong Kong, China has been a member [of] APEC, and has been taking part in APEC conferences in accordance [with] APEC rules and conventions,” Lee said. “So it is up to the organisers to act in accordance with these conventions.”
