The chair of a new US congressional panel scrutinizing China asked the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (Amcham) to clarify its position on the territory’s National Security Law after its leader appeared in a video promoting business opportunities there.
The video highlights the benefits of locating operations in Hong Kong, including dining and entertainment opportunities and calls the territory “safe” and “incredibly attractive.”
At one point, Anne Kerr, the chair of the British chamber, says the territory has a “sound legal system.”
Photo: AP
US Representative Mike Gallagher singled out the phrase as something that runs counter to the official US position on a 2020 National Security Law critics say has led to a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.
“Since the passage of the National Security Law, Beijing has dismantled what remained of Hong Kong’s democratic institutions, jailed and disappeared dissidents, and violated its international obligations,” Gallagher wrote in a letter to Geoffrey Siebengartner, the chairman of Amcham.
The letter marked Gallagher’s first inquiry as chair of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
He wrote that the US government has determined that the passage of the law has eroded the rights and freedoms promised by the government of China under the 1984 declaration and highlights the recent trial of 47 pro-democracy advocates.
AmCham and the US Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gallagher, a Republican, wrote that Siebengartner’s appearance in the promotional video could be interpreted as a quiet reversal of the official US position on the matter, as the chamber is closely associated with the US government in the territory.
He asked that the chamber clarify its position on the National Security Law by answering six questions, including whether the chamber believes that the legislation is consistent with the “rule of law.”
He requested responses by Monday next week.
Gallagher said in a previous interview that the committee would be examining US investments in China where they run counter to national security interests or US policies on human rights and other issues.
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