China rebukes U.S. alert over Hong Kong security rule changes
Beijing — China’s top diplomat in Hong Kong has protested a U.S. security alert issued in response to new enforcement rules under the city’s national security regime, urging Washington to cease what it described as interference in China’s internal affairs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement released late on Saturday, the ministry’s Hong Kong office said Commissioner Cui Jianchun met U.S. Consul General Julie Eadeh on March 27 and conveyed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the alert, calling on the United States to stop intervening in Hong Kong matters “in any form.
”The dispute follows recent amendments to Hong Kong’s national security enforcement rules, which make it an offence in national security cases to refuse to provide passwords or other assistance to access electronic devices.
In response, the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong issued a public alert on March 26 advising U.S. citizens to contact the consulate if they are arrested or detained in connection with the updated rules.
The alert highlighted concerns over the expanded scope of enforcement powers under the revised framework.The U.S. Consulate General did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
The exchange underscores ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington over Hong Kong’s governance and legal environment, particularly since the introduction of national security measures that foreign governments have said could affect civil liberties and legal protections.
Chinese authorities have consistently defended the measures as necessary to safeguard stability and national sovereignty, rejecting external criticism as unwarranted interference.
