China Protests US Alert Over Security Rules Change in Hong Kong

BEIJING, March 29 (Reuters) – China’s ⁠top ⁠diplomat in Hong ⁠Kong has met with the senior ​U.S. diplomat in the city to protest a ‌U.S. public alert over ‌new security rules in Hong Kong, ⁠the ⁠Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

In a statement released late on ​Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministry’s Hong Kong office said Commissioner Cui Jianchun met U.S. Consul ​General Julie Eadeh on March 27 and expressed “strong ⁠dissatisfaction and ⁠firm opposition”, urging ⁠Washington ​to stop interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s ​internal affairs “in ⁠any form.”

Earlier this month, Hong Kong amended its enforcement rules for the national security regime, making it an offence in national ⁠security cases to refuse to provide passwords or other ⁠decryption assistance to access an electronic device.

In response to the rule changes, the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong issued a security alert on March 26 calling for contact with the Consulate in case U.S. citizens are arrested or detained ⁠in connection with the new security enforcement rules.

The U.S. Consulate General did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment ​outside business hours.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; ​Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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