On September 7, 2024, the United States issued a warning to businesses about the escalating risks associated with operating in Hong Kong. The advisory highlights that routine business activities could potentially conflict with the city’s new national security laws.
In response, Hong Kong government officials criticized the US stance, claiming it is part of a Western strategy to undermine the region and China's development.
This advisory updates a previous warning from 2021, with the US State Department noting "new and heightened risks" in light of the recently enacted Article 23 law. It emphasized that the ambiguous language of the law raises concerns about the safety of standard practices, such as engaging with local officials and conducting research on government policies.
The advisory also pointed out that the differences between Hong Kong and mainland China are diminishing. It warned that authorities in mainland China have broad powers to classify a wide range of materials as state secrets, which could lead to the detention and prosecution of foreign nationals on espionage charges.
Since the introduction of the initial security law in 2020, over 300 individuals have been arrested, including at least one US citizen. The US has repeatedly expressed concerns that these Beijing-imposed security measures threaten the freedoms that have historically made Hong Kong a major trading hub.
Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, has defended the new laws, asserting that they are necessary to prevent violence following the mass protests in 2019. Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, dismissed the US warnings as unfounded and part of a smear campaign against Hong Kong. He argued that the national security laws serve as stabilizers for the region and assured that freedoms, including free speech, are legally protected.
Tsang also emphasized the vast opportunities available in the Greater Bay Area, suggesting that Hong Kong’s inclusion in this market could provide significant benefits.
美國警告香港商業風險上升
2024年9月7日，美國向企業發出警告，指在香港經營的風險正在上升。該建議指出，日常商業活動可能會與該市的新國安法相衝突。
香港政府官員對此表示批評，指責美國的立場是西方國家破壞香港及中國發展的策略之一。
這份建議更新了2021年發出的警告，美國國務院指出，在最近通過的第23條法例下，存在「新的和加劇的風險」。它強調，法律的模糊性引發了對標準做法的安全性擔憂，例如與本地官員接觸和進行政府政策研究。
建議還指出，香港與中國大陸之間的差異正在縮小。它警告說，中國大陸的當局擁有廣泛的權力，可以將各種材料歸類為國家機密，這可能導致外國國籍人士因間諜指控而被拘留和起訴。
自2020年初步國安法實施以來，已有300多人被捕，其中包括至少一名美國公民。美國一再表達擔憂，認為這些由北京強加的安全措施威脅了歷來使香港成為主要貿易中心的自由。
香港特首李克強為新法例辯護，聲稱它們是防止2019年大規模抗議後暴力事件的必要措施。政制及內地事務局局長曾國衛則斥責美國的警告毫無根據，是對香港的抹黑運動。他辯稱，國安法作為區域的穩定器，並保證言論自由等自由會受到法律保護。
曾國衛還強調大灣區的巨大機遇，表示香港的參與將為該市場帶來顯著利益。
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