Newly minted Swedish consul general pledges to continue charitable work in Hong Kong

Per Augustsson says the Swedish consulate in the city has found technology a useful way to reach out to communities

The consulate is donating 500 gift boxes to Operation Santa Claus beneficiaries, along with financial assistance

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Per Augustsson, Swedish consul general in Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 10:00am, 28 Dec 2020Updated: 10:00am, 28 Dec 2020

Having just arrived in September this year, Sweden’s new consul general to Hong Kong is settling into his new home at an unusual time – in the middle of a pandemic and after months of social unrest.

Still, Per Augustsson said he had so far found Hong Kong to be “a beautiful city”, and that he was “very excited to be able to promote Sweden” here.

Last winter, the Swedish consulate made donations to Operation Santa Claus (OSC) for the first time, and also conducted activities as part of it. This year, Augustsson is carrying that work forward.

OSC is an annual Christmas-themed fundraising drive co-organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988. Nineteen local charities have been named as beneficiaries this year.

The pandemic started early in Hong Kong, and people have been suffering for a long time. We really need to take care of each other

Per Augustsson, Sweden’s consul general to Hong Kong

“For us, this is a way to connect and reach out to Hongkongers,” Augustsson said.