The outgoing US consul general in Hong Kong was barred by the state department from giving a tough valedictory speech last week because of fears harsh criticism of government actions in the territory could offend Beijing and derail a truce in the trade war agreed by Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping at last month’s G20 meeting in Japan.
Kurt Tong, a career diplomat, left his post as US consul general to Hong Kong on Friday after less than three years in the role.
Mr Tong is also retiring from the state department and had told numerous people that he planned to give a “kick-ass” speech on July 2 that would lay out a realistic view of US-Hong Kong relations and Beijing’s determined erosion of freedoms in the former British colony.
您已阅读28%（740字），剩余72%（1885字）包含更多重要信息，订阅以继续探索完整内容，并享受更多专属服务。