Pompeo meets Hong Kong’s last governor Chris Patten and activist Nathan Law in London
- US Secretary of State calls for global alliance against China before meeting two of the city’s Beijing critics
- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also walks fine line to avoid all-out support for Washington’s contest with Beijing
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met two politicians closely linked to Hong Kong while visiting London on Tuesday, shortly before he was due to fly back to America and give a major speech on China.
“Nathan walked in just as Patten was on his way out,” a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told the South China Morning Post. “Pompeo was very keen to do these meetings as they fit in his schedule.”
The 20-minute pre-dinner meeting between Pompeo and Law was mostly a learning opportunity for the top diplomat of the world’s superpower, the person said. “He was very interested in hearing the perspective of what it’s like to be on the ground in Hong Kong and the nature of the movement.
“Nathan did most of the talking. He gave Pompeo a human element to the movement – what life is like in Hong Kong at the moment, how it feels to be in Hong Kong right now, how to walk a mile in an average Hongkonger’s shoes.”
Patten could not be contacted for comment.
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Pompeo urges all nations to 'push back' against China on visit to the UK