Diplomat’s Bold Words Stir Up Hong Kong’s Political Climate
In a move that’s sure to keep tensions high, U.S. Consul General Gregory May used this year’s Independence Day celebration in Hong Kong to launch one of the strongest criticisms yet against Chinese and city authorities. Standing before a crowd that included diplomats and local contacts, May didn’t mince words. He said, “Hong Kong is a great city. What is not great is the policies of the mainland Chinese government, the Hong Kong government, that have eroded freedom.” This was not a quiet goodbye speech for a diplomat wrapping up a three-year term—if anything, it was a clear parting shot as May prepares to move on to a new assignment in Beijing next month.
May pointed out how Beijing’s attempt at tightening its grip over Hong Kong has especially hurt political activists. He singled out the case of Jimmy Lai, the well-known founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, who has been jailed under the city’s strict national security law. Facing life behind bars for his activism connected to the massive 2019 anti-government protests, Lai’s prosecution has become a symbol of what May called “transnational regression.” It’s a phrase that sums up what many in the city—and around the world—feel about Hong Kong’s rapid slide away from the civil liberties it once enjoyed.
Echoes of Repression: Not Just About One Man
But it’s not just about Jimmy Lai. According to May, the problems in Hong Kong are much wider. Since 2019, more than 100 civil society organizations—everything from student groups to charities—have closed down, often under pressure or fearing prosecution. Public criticism of the government has nearly vanished. Even the simple act of celebrating American Independence Day became a flashpoint this year. May revealed that Hong Kong authorities had warned local schools to stay away from U.S.-hosted events, describing the pressure as “repression” that reflected “insecurity and fear of freedom.”
During his speech, May also brought up how the United States government has tried to push back. He referenced former President Donald Trump’s promise to fight for Jimmy Lai’s release, showing that the issue reaches the White House. It’s a signal to both Hong Kong and Beijing that Washington views these human rights concerns as serious, not just background noise in the diplomatic relationship.
The consulate’s criticism aligns with what many Hongkongers and overseas observers have been saying: once-vibrant public debates have gone silent, rallies and protests have disappeared, and the laws on dissent grow harsher each year. The security law, imposed after the 2019 protests, set a new tone—one that’s left journalists, activists, and average citizens forced to second-guess what they say and do. Even students, supposedly far removed from frontline politics, have found themselves navigating new red lines as city authorities try to erase anything that hints at political dissent.
All this has made Hong Kong a focal point in the ongoing conversation about freedoms in China. Gregory May’s parting words stand out in a city where open criticism of the authorities has become rare and risky. It’s a situation that leaves anyone watching—inside the city or out—wondering if Hong Kong will ever return to its days of open debate and dynamic civil society, or if this level of control is here to stay.
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