The top US diplomat in Hong Kong is likely to be heading north to take up a leading role in the United States’ Beijing embassy, the South China Morning Post has learned.
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Gregory May, who arrived to serve as the US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau in September 2022, is tipped to be a top candidate for a ministerial role in the US embassy in Beijing, according to sources.
It is a critical time in the relationship as Beijing and Washington engage in a series of high-stakes talks to manage their escalating trade and export control measures.
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Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off
Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off
The new American ambassador, David Perdue, assumed his post on May 15, just days after Beijing and Washington reached an unexpected truce in Geneva to de-escalate a trade war that had injected fear into the world’s financial markets.
May’s likely new role would make him one of Perdue’s top lieutenants at the 1,300-person embassy in Beijing and mainland consulates, according to one source familiar with the matter.
“His pragmatism, resourcefulness and vast experience covering mainland [China], Hong Kong and Taiwan made him a leading candidate for the role to assist ambassador Perdue,” the source said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
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A second source said that after several rounds of sanctions imposed from both sides, creating political exchanges in Hong Kong had become difficult, but May still managed to connect with various Hong Kong communities via outreach efforts and was “instrumental” in maintaining business, academic and people exchanges.