HONG KONG (Reuters) -The top American diplomat in Hong Kong on Thursday criticised Hong Kong's use of the national security law to jail prominent campaigners for democracy, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and engage in the "transnational repression" of activists abroad.
Gregory May, the departing consul general of the United States in Hong Kong, who is coming to the end of a three-year stint in the city, spoke about recent turbulence in the U.S-China relationship and highlighted various "friction points" including Lai's case.
Lai, 77, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the national security law, as well as a separate charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material. He has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,500 days since December 2020.
"President Trump himself has mentioned Jimmy Lai several times now and he’s very concerned about the fate of Mr. Lai," May told reporters after a speech at a U.S. Independence Day reception. "But I just want to emphasise the U.S. government concern is not just on this one individual. There are many other people, unfortunately, in Hong Kong who are in jail for peaceful expression of political views."
Lai, whose family say his health is fragile, faces a possible life sentence under a China-imposed national security law that was implemented in 2020 in response to mass pro-democracy protests the year before.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously said he would "one hundred percent" get Lai, who also has British citizenship, out of the country.
May, who will be leaving to take up a position as deputy head of the U.S. mission in Beijing, also criticised attempts by Hong Kong authorities to pressure overseas Hong Kong activists including the issuing of arrest warrants for national security violations and offering bounties of HK$1 million ($127,393) each.
"The other friction point in my time here has been transnational repression, and it's very disappointing to see over my three years here, attempts by Hong Kong authorities to enforce the national security law within the borders of the United States against U.S. persons," May said.
These are "attempts to restrict the free speech of people in the United States and unfortunately we're seeing Hong Kong authorities go after the family members of these overseas activists and that's a very disturbing development," he added.
On the broader China-U.S. relationship, May said Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping both wanted to get the bilateral relationship on "a positive track", a goal he would work towards in Beijing under the new U.S. ambassador to China David Perdue.
($1 = 7.8497 Hong Kong dollars)
(Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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