The question as to whether Hong Kong’s John Lee – currently under US sanctions – was personally invited to the San Francisco Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum remains unclear, after a state department spokesperson told HKFP that the meeting had to respect Washington’s sanctions.
Lee cited “scheduling issues” for skipping the economic gathering on November 15 and 16, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday. On Wednesday, a government spokesperson that the chief executive had received a personal invite, despite reports the US had sought to bar him.
A spokesperson for the US Department of State told HKFP on Thursday that it was looking forward to welcoming Hong Kong’s finance chief Paul Chan in Lee’s place: “We have been clear that participating in APEC 2023 will be in accordance with U.S. law and regulations, including with respect to sanctions. We have been working towards having appropriate participation of all APEC member economies. An invitation letter was sent to Hong Kong as an APEC member economy.”
The controversy came after a campaign to bar the chief executive from the event, and reports the White House planned to snub him. Lee has been placed under US sanctions over his role in the 2019 protest crackdown.
Lee is scheduled to speak at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce event on November 16.
Will-he-won’t-he row
In July, the Washington Post reported that the White House had decided to bar the chief executive from attending the forum. In response, on July 28, a government spokesperson said that “[T]he US is obliged to fulfil its basic responsibilities as a host to follow the rules and usual practice of APEC and invite the [chief executive] to attend the meeting in his capacity of the leader of Hong Kong, China.”
On September 26, Lee told reporters that he was still awaiting an invite: “I am still waiting for the invitation letter to be sent to me… We will attend in accordance with standard protocol.”
Lee was one of multiple Chinese officials hit by US sanctions in 2020 for their alleged role in cracking down on political freedoms in the city.
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