Fri Oct 03 03:49:38 UTC 2025: ## China Warns US Envoy Against “Interference” in Hong Kong Affairs, US Dismisses Criticism
**Hong Kong** – China has issued a stern warning to the new U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, Julie Eadeh, urging her to refrain from “interfering” in the city’s internal affairs. The warning, delivered by Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Hong Kong office of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came during a meeting on Tuesday, as detailed in a statement released Thursday.
Cui reportedly laid out “four don’ts” for Eadeh: avoiding meetings with individuals deemed unsuitable, refraining from colluding with “anti-China forces,” abstaining from assisting or funding activities that could destabilize Hong Kong, and avoiding interference in national security cases.
The warning is believed to stem from Eadeh’s previous interactions with pro-democracy figures in 2019, when she served as political chief of the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong under the Trump administration. Chinese state media outlets have previously criticized Eadeh for meeting with activists like Joshua Wong and Nathan Law during the 2019 protests, accusing her of promoting a “color revolution.”
The U.S. Department of State has dismissed the Chinese admonishment. In a statement released Thursday, they asserted that “U.S. diplomats represent our nation and are charged with advancing U.S. interests globally, which is standard practice for diplomats around the world, including in Hong Kong.”
The incident underscores the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington over Hong Kong’s increasingly curtailed freedoms. Since the massive anti-government protests in 2019, Beijing has tightened its grip on the city, imposing a National Security Law in 2020 and expanding government powers to suppress dissent with new legislation passed this year. These measures have been used to silence activists and shutter independent media outlets.
Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, was guaranteed a high degree of autonomy under the “one country, two systems” framework when it was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Critics argue that Beijing has steadily eroded this autonomy in recent years.
Eadeh has yet to publicly comment on the meeting with Cui. The incident further complicates the already strained relationship between the two global superpowers, marked by disagreements over trade, technology, and Taiwan.
First Piper 