US will not invite sanctioned Hong Kong leader John Lee to Apec

WASHINGTON – The

United States will not invite Hong Kong’s Chief Executive,

who faces US sanctions, to visit San Francisco during November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, two congressional aides said on Friday.

The US is set to host 2023’s gathering of leaders of Apec, of which Hong Kong is a member.

Hong Kong’s top official

John Lee was placed under US sanctions in 2020

because of his role in implementing what Washington deems a “draconian” national security law when he was the city’s security secretary.

Reuters reported in June that a group of lawmakers, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, sent a letter to the State Department urging it to bar Mr Lee from the US.

The Washington Post on Thursday reported the US decision on Mr Lee, citing American officials.

On Friday, two congressional aides confirmed to Reuters that the State Department had notified members of Congress that Mr Lee would not be invited.

Mr Rubio said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was the “right call”, even if the decision took longer than it should have.

“Hosting a sanctioned human rights violator who represses Hong Kongers is a non-starter,” Mr Rubio said.

In its 2020 designation of Mr Lee, the US Treasury Department said he had been involved in the “coercing, arresting, detaining or imprisoning” of people in the Chinese city who had protested against the national security law.

A State Department spokesman, when asked about the decision, said the participation of all delegations in Apec events will be “in accordance with US laws and regulations and on the basis of the spirit and principles of Apec”.

“We will work with Hong Kong, China to ensure appropriate participation in San Francisco,” the spokesman said, adding without giving details that US President Joe Biden had begun sending invitations for the event.

China’s Embassy in Washington expressed Beijing’s “strong opposition” to the US decision.

“This violates Apec rules, and breaks the commitments made by the US,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said.

The Apec leaders summit is seen as a possible venue where Mr Biden could hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the two countries seek to stabilise troubled relations.

REUTERS