Letters | US senators’ latest attack on Hong Kong won’t benefit America
- Readers discuss a bill targeting Hong Kong’s representative offices, a Helsinki agreement for our era, and one reason for ‘job hopping’ among domestic workers
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in Washington, New York and San Francisco look after Hong Kong’s commercial interests and promote our cultural heritage. They are bridges between Hong Kong and the US, which the senators now threaten to burn.
The relationship between Hong Kong and the US is long and deep. The US has been a major source of foreign direct investment in Hong Kong. We are home to many American companies. According to official US figures, the country’s trade surplus with Hong Kong was US$18.7 billion in 2020. In 2019, US exports to Hong Kong supported about 156,000 jobs.
Hong Kong and the US have strong connections in other areas. American popular culture has had a considerable impact on Hong Kong. Numerous Hongkongers have relocated to the US and become an integral part of its local communities. A sizeable number of young Hongkongers pursue further education at American universities.
All this is testament to Hong Kong’s enduring role, over generations, as a bridge between East and West.