The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory Thursday (Dec. 17) that places Hong Kong in the same category as other cities in mainland China, urging nationals to think twice about visiting Hong Kong because of the threat posed by arbitrary law enforcement.
According to a travel directive issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. citizens are asked to reconsider travel to China “including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region because of arbitrary law enforcement by local law enforcement officials.
The travel warning refers to the Chinese government’s arbitrary enforcement of local laws, such as wrongful detentions and the banning of citizens of the United States and other countries from leaving the country without due process of law, in an attempt to force individuals to participate in Chinese government investigations or to force their families overseas to return to China.
The travel alert also states that the CCP’s State Security Office operates in Hong Kong and is not regulated by the Hong Kong judicial system.
This is the third time this year that the U.S. Department of State has updated its travel alert for Hong Kong, the first time being on February 20, when it was issued to alert nationals to the outbreak of Newcastle Pneumonia (a Chinese Communist virus). This was followed on June 2 by a reminder to nationals that China will implement the Hong Kong Area National Security Law, warning that nationals residing in Hong Kong may be further subject to surveillance by the local government.
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