New US consul general Clifford Hart must rebuild trust after Snowden case

A veteran diplomat well-known in Asia takes over from Stephen Young next month as US consul general, and one of his first tasks will be to rebuild trust with Hong Kong law enforcement officials following the saga of cyberspying whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Clifford Hart has had five postings in China - including two in Taiwan - and has a long history of advising the US government on the region. He has worked with the National Security Council on China affairs, as well as serving roles in the Soviet Union and Iraq.

"[Hart has] been involved in the six-party talks with North Korea, speaks Mandarin and has decades of experience working on Asia issues," said Ross Feingold, a senior advisor with DC International Advisory, which does political risk analysis in East Asia. "Ambassador Hart has the necessary qualifications to succeed Stephen Young."

Hart is the current United States envoy to the six-party talks - negotiations between the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US seeking to dissuade North Korea from its nuclear ambitions. However, with the talks having stalled in 2009, Hart, who took up the role in 2011, has not attended any negotiations during his time.

"The timing is a challenge, as he must deal with the continued interest in the Snowden matter," Feingold said. "But both sides will move on from this."

Young said last week that Washington's confidence in Hong Kong had been "shaken" and that the trust built up between US law enforcement agencies and their counterparts in Hong Kong had taken a particular blow. The agencies have in the past cooperated closely with their Hong Kong counterparts on matters such as the US' pursuit of legal action against Kim Dotcom, the founder of internet file-sharing website Megaupload.