Sanctions, decoupling will ‘breed resentment’, chief of Hong Kong’s legislature tells foreign envoys
- US Consul General Gregory May later says he welcomes ‘friendly exchanges’ with lawmakers
Sanctions, decoupling and ideological bias cannot empower society to navigate changes and will only “breed resentment”, the president of Hong Kong’s legislature has told diplomats in the city, as he underlined the importance of dialogue and cooperation.
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen was speaking before a cocktail reception on Friday attended by 44 representatives of diplomatic missions in the city.
American Consul General Gregory May said after the reception that he welcomed “friendly exchanges” with lawmakers, despite challenges in US-Hong Kong relations, especially over national security trials involving media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and 47 opposition activists.
Leung said Legco hoped to have more exchanges with the international community in a “once-in-a-century global transformation” and following the city’s enactment of a domestic security law.
“Sanctions, decoupling, ideological bias and double standards cannot empower us to navigate through changes,” he told the diplomats.
