Hong Kong government must end protest crisis and avoid US-China tensions, says US garment trade chief Rick Helfenbein
- Head of trade group says, ‘What we see on television and in newspapers scares people to come here’
- Despite the unrest, he added that the association’s members had no plans to leave Hong Kong at this time
One of America’s largest trade groups has voiced concern for the safety of workers amid Hong Kong’s ongoing protest crisis and warned of further political complications should the turmoil continue.
Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association – an advocacy group that represents more than 1,000 major brands – on Tuesday said many members with headquarters in Hong Kong had expressed fears about safety.
“I am not feeling unsafe at all, but what we see on television and in newspapers scares people to come here,” Helfenbein said in an interview on Tuesday. “It has been going on for too long and the government needs to deal with it itself. ”
Despite the unrest, he added that the association’s members had no plans to leave Hong Kong at this time.
Since June, anti-government protests have spread across Hong Kong and violence has intensified. Radical protesters often target MTR stations, government buildings, and restaurants, shops and banks with connections to mainland China.
