Hong Kong News Hub: US Dep’t of State accused of deception over alleged APEC forum invite for Hong Kong’s sanctions-hit John Lee

Two US politicians have reportedly urged the Department of State to clarify whether it invited Hong Kong’s sanctions-hit leader to this month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco.

Chief Executive John Lee meets the press after announcing 2023 Policy Address on October 25, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

National Review reported on Monday that Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Mike Gallagher had accused the department of potentially deceiving Congress in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

John Lee’s office has insisted that a personal invite had been received, though a US spokesperson did not directly answer when asked by HKFP to clarify last Thursday.

“We have been clear that participating in APEC 2023 will be in accordance with U.S. law and regulations, including with respect to sanctions,” they said. “We have been working towards having appropriate participation of all APEC member economies. An invitation letter was sent to Hong Kong as an APEC member economy.”

‘Human rights violator’

Lee was one of multiple Chinese officials hit by US sanctions in 2020 for their alleged role in cracking down on political freedoms in the city.

Gallagher told the National Review that “there is no place for these officials at APEC and I call on the Administration to bar not only Chief Executive Lee’s attendance but that of any Hong Kong official.” Meanwhile, Rubio said: “The Biden Administration, on multiple occasions, failed to be forthcoming with Republicans and Democrats about inviting human rights violator John Lee Ka-chiu to the APEC meeting in San Francisco.”

US Senator and chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China Marco Rubio. Photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.

The controversy came after a campaign to bar the chief executive from the event, and reports the White House planned to snub him.

In July, the Washington Post reported that the White House had decided to bar Lee. In response, on July 28, a government spokesperson said that “[T]he US is obliged to fulfil its basic responsibilities as a host to follow the rules and usual practice of APEC and invite the [chief executive] to attend the meeting in his capacity of the leader of Hong Kong, China.”

On September 26, Lee told reporters that he was “still waiting for the invitation letter to be sent to me… We will attend in accordance with standard protocol.”

Ultimately, Lee cited “scheduling issues” for skipping the economic gathering on November 15 and 16. He is scheduled to speak at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce event on November 16.

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