US diplomats will need China's approval to meet with Hong Kong officials: Report

US diplomats would now have to acquire permission from China to meet with Hong Kong government officials or other personnel constituting the city administration, South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, September 27. The new rule comes as a retaliatory move from Beijing as Washington has limited the movement of Chinese envoys in the United States. 

As per reports, Felix Chung Kwok-pan, leader of the pro-business Liberal Party, was told by Beijing's foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong just two weeks ago that it was not an appropriate time to meet with a top US envoy after the latter sought a dialogue. Felix told the SCMP that the office of Chinese Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Hong Kong had told him that the US consulate general ‘has to inform them’ before setting up meetings with members of Hong Kong political parties. 

An internal documented quoted by ANI said that the US consul general in Hong Kong, his successors, or any personnel working on his behalf, “must first obtain approval” from the  Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Commissioner in Hong Kong before visiting any local facilities owned by the Chinese government. 

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US announced restrictions on China envoys

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Chinese envoys in the US would be required to seek permission before they could meet with the local government officials or even visit the university campuses. The tensions between both the superpowers are at an all-time high over a range of issues. From COVID-19 response to Beijing imposing the controversial security law in Hong Kong, the United States has repeatedly condemned the Chinese Communist Party over the months.

Recently, Pompeo, on September 26, lambasted the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accusing it of 'censoring and disappearing’ whistleblowers who tried to raise the alarm over the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking to Twitter, he asserted that the party led by Xi Jinping was the "culprit" behind the death of over one million people globally. 

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(With ANI Input)