Sanctions, decoupling and ideological bias cannot empower society to navigate changes and will only “breed resentment”, the president of Hong Kong’s legislature has told diplomats in the city, as he underlined the importance of dialogue and cooperation.
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen was speaking before a cocktail reception on Friday attended by 44 representatives of diplomatic missions in the city.
American Consul General Gregory May said after the reception that he welcomed “friendly exchanges” with lawmakers, despite challenges in US-Hong Kong relations, especially over national security trials involving media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and 47 opposition activists.
Leung said Legco hoped to have more exchanges with the international community in a “once-in-a-century global transformation” and following the city’s enactment of a domestic security law.
“Sanctions, decoupling, ideological bias and double standards cannot empower us to navigate through changes,” he told the diplomats.
“Instead it will breed resentment that will result in lose-lose situations.”
Leung said “dialogue and collaboration” were essential for overcoming uncertainties and adversities arising from changes.
Last November, US lawmakers introduced a bill to impose sanctions on 49 Hong Kong judges, prosecutors and government officials “for human rights violations”.
Friday’s reception was attended by 71 lawmakers and 44 consuls general or their representatives.
They included Thomas Gnocchi, head of the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macau, acting British consul general Christopher Woodward and Australian Consul General Gareth Williams.
US envoy May said being invited to the reception showed some lawmakers were committed to maintaining communications with Washington despite challenges in relations.
He elaborated that the difficulties included human rights concerns, the treatment of the 47 activists in a national security trial and the situation surrounding former media mogul Lai.
Asked if he raised these issues to lawmakers, he said: “We had a friendly exchange with several Legco members about maintaining communications. I think it was really appreciated.”
It was a positive exchange without talking about “a lot of serious businesses”, he said.
Leung also touched on a new five-year, multi-entry travel permit Beijing has introduced for non-Chinese nationals in Hong Kong with permanent residency that allows them to visit mainland China without a visa. He said he firmly believed the measure was “only the beginning of further enhancements to come”.
On Thursday, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu revealed at a forum hosted by the South China Morning Post that “more steps” in visa liberalisation measures were coming after the announcement of the new permit on July 1.
Lee said the “first step” launched last October was a fast-track application process for multiple-entry visas for travelling to the mainland available to foreign employees of locally registered companies, with “second step” being the new permit.
“That’s step one and now we have step two and there will be more steps coming. And I hope I will deliver more to you in due course,” Lee said.
