Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who faces sanctions in the U.S., will not be invited to San Francisco in the course of November’s Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation summit.
China News Assistance | China Information Support | Getty Photographs
The United States will not invite Hong Kong’s chief executive, who faces U.S. sanctions, to stop by San Francisco through November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, two congressional aides mentioned on Friday.
The U.S. is set to host this year’s collecting of leaders of APEC, of which Hong Kong is a member. Hong Kong’s top rated formal John Lee was put underneath U.S. sanctions in 2020 for the reason that of his part in utilizing what Washington deems a “draconian” Hong Kong nationwide security legislation when he was the city’s protection secretary.
Reuters noted in June that a group of lawmakers, which include Republican Senator Marco Rubio, sent a letter to the U.S. Point out Department urging it to bar Lee from the U.S.
The Washington Post on Thursday reported the U.S. choice on Lee, citing U.S. officers, and on Friday two congressional aides verified to Reuters that the Point out Office experienced notified users of Congress that Lee would not be invited.
Rubio stated on messaging platform X, previously regarded as Twitter, that it was the “appropriate contact,” even if the final decision took longer than it really should have.
“Internet hosting a sanctioned human rights violator who represses Hong Kongers is a nonstarter,” Rubio mentioned.
In its 2020 designation of Lee, the U.S. Treasury Office claimed he experienced been involved in the “coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning” of people in the Chinese town who experienced protested against the national safety legislation.
A Condition Section spokesperson, asked about the conclusion, stated the participation of all delegations in APEC functions will be “in accordance with U.S. legal guidelines and laws and on the foundation of the spirit and principles of APEC.”
“We will perform with Hong Kong, China to make certain acceptable participation in San Francisco,” the spokesperson mentioned, introducing devoid of offering information that U.S. President Joe Biden experienced begun sending invites for the event.
China’s Embassy in Washington expressed Beijing’s “potent opposition” to the U.S. selection.
“This violates APEC principles, and breaks the commitments designed by the U.S.,” Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.
The APEC leaders summit is observed as a achievable venue where Biden could keep bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the two nations around the world find to stabilize troubled relations.