Consul: 20% of Americans in Hong Kong left in past 2 years

KANIS LEUNG

HONG KONG (AP) — The U.S. consul general in Hong Kong says about 20% of the Americans living in the city have left over the past two years. Greg May says Hong Kong’s strict anti-COVID-19 measures and “diminishing freedoms” have “clearly impacted the city,” citing the departure of roughly 15,000 Americans as one of the outcomes. May also says concerns remain over Hong Kong’s reputation as a business center, which “depends on adherence to international standards and the rule of law.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s office in Hong Kong says May “slandered the rule of law and freedom in Hong Kong” and “deliberately discredited Hong Kong’s business environment.”