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Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau

Consulate General of the United States,
Hong Kong and Macau
美國駐香港及澳門總領事館
Map
AddressNo. 26, Garden Road,
Central,
Hong Kong Island,
Hong Kong
Consul GeneralGregory May
Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese美國駐香港及澳門總領事館
Simplified Chinese美国驻香港及澳门总领事馆
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMěiguó zhù Xiānggǎng jí Àomén Zǒnglǐngshìguǎn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingmei5 gwok3 zyu3 hoeng1 gong2 kap6 ou3 mun4*2 zung2 ling5 si6 gun2
Portuguese name
PortugueseConsulado Geral dos Estados Unidos da América, Hong Kong e Macau
On May 12, 1999, the flag at the Consulate-General of the United States in Hong Kong was lowered in respect and sorrow for the people of China for a day as the aircraft carrying the bodies of victims of the NATO bombing of the People's Republic of China embassy in Belgrade came home to Beijing. Similar gestures were done in China in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang, along with the U.S. embassy in Beijing.[1]

The Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau, represents the United States in Hong Kong and Macau.[2]

It has been located at 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, since the late 1950s.[3] The consul general is Gregory May, who has served since September 2022.

Due to Hong Kong and Macau's special status, and in accordance with the United States–Hong Kong Policy Act, the U.S. consulate general to Hong Kong operates as an independent mission, with the consul general as the "chief of mission" (with title of "ambassador)".[4] The consul general to Hong Kong and Macau is not under the jurisdiction of the United States ambassador to China, and reports directly to the U.S. Department of State as do other chiefs of mission, who are ambassadors in charge of embassies.[5][6][7]

All recent consuls-general are at the career minister rank in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, whereas many other ambassadors are only minister counsellor.

History

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Diplomatic relations started in 1843,[8] when the Americans established a consulate in Hong Kong with the consul working out of his residence. 9 Ice House Street (now The Galleria) began hosting the consulate in the early 1920s, and later the 1935 Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building became the consulate's home on the second floor.[9][8] During World War II, the Americans gave the occupying Japanese army the key to the office, and after the war, the key was returned and nothing was damaged in the office.[8] However, the consul general's residence on The Peak was blown up during the war, and the Japanese used bricks from the building to create a memorial.[8]

In December 1945, the Americans and British signed the Lend-Lease Settlement Statement, an agreement designed to help the British cover post-war costs by allowing the U.S. to buy land on British colonies for government or education uses.[10] Land discussions between the U.S. consul general and Hong Kong governor began in 1946, when the Republic of China was in control of mainland China.[10] The Americans were offered the 26 Garden Road site, a plot of land measuring 47,000 square feet (4,400 m2), and in March 1947, the Americans let the Hong Kong government know that it would like to purchase the site under the Lend-Lease Settlement Statement.[10] The approval was granted three months later, and in 1954, construction plans were announced.[10] Construction was finished in June 1957, and the land lease was signed in 1960.[8][10]

In the lease, an option to purchase the land as a freehold was included. In January 1997, the U.S. wanted to exercise this option, but the proposal was rejected in favor of a 999-year lease, backdated to start on 9 April 1950.[10][11] The U.S. has the longest lease in all of the People's Republic of China, as the last 999-year lease granted before this was in 1903, meaning the consulate has 47 more years of length than the next newest 999-year lease.

In June 2013, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden claims that there is a CIA station inside the U.S. consulate general in Hong Kong, and later both the U.S. consulate and Hong Kong officials declined to comment.[12]

In March 2021, two employees from the consulate, a married couple living in Dynasty Court Tower 3, were discovered to have COVID-19 (cases 11319 and 11320).[13] Their three-year-old daughter was also found to be infected, closing her preschool, Woodland Montessori Academy.[14] Some mainland Chinese and pro-Beijing news reports, including from Dot Dot News, Global Times, and others, claimed that the family used diplomatic immunity to avoid quarantine, which both the United States and Carrie Lam denied; Lam stated that the children were sent to the hospital to join their parents.[15] The pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions and Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress staged protests at the consulate, believing that the family had invoked diplomatic immunity.[15]

In 2020, the mainland Chinese government required the U.S. consul general to obtain permission from China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong before meeting with local government officials or local government educational institutions; in 2023, the rule was changed so that the U.S. consul general now had to provide 5 days of advanced notice.[16]

Information

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In the May 2012 Office of Inspector General's report on the consulate,[17] the following statistics were provided on its operations:

In the newer November 2017 Office of Inspector General's report on the consulate,[18] the following statistics were provided on its operations for Financial Year 2016:

FY 2016 staffing and funding
Agency U.S. direct hire staff U.S. locally employed staff Foreign national staff TOTAL Funding ($ USD)
Department of State 85 23 155 263 29,491,535
Department of Agriculture 1 0 6 7 1,047,077
Department of Commerce 3 0 13 16 2,522,799
Department of Defense 12 0 3 15 2,096,511
Department of Justice 11 0 1 12 2,024,010
Department of Homeland Security 11 1 10 22 3,101,604
Department of the Treasury 2 0 1 3 290,456
TOTAL 125 25 188 338 40,573,992

Within the consulate, several U.S. agencies operate, including the Department of Homeland Security (Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection), the Department of Defense, and Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation), and the Department of the Treasury (Internal Revenue Service).

Physical locations

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The consulate building is located at 26 Garden Road. There is an on-site gymnasium in the building.

The consulate's warehouse is located at 11/F, 14/F, and 15/F at Leader Centre, 37 Wong Chuk Hang Rd.

The consul-general lives on The Peak at 3 Barker Road,[19] paid for by American taxpayers.[20] The site includes a garage and tennis court.

In addition, the consulate owns employee residences on 37 Shouson Hill Road, where a private shuttle takes employees to the consulate building.[17] In May 2020, the consulate announced it would accept bids in an attempt to sell the six mansions, and with an agreement to re-lease them.[21] The mansions contain up to 10 bedrooms each, and measure 47,382 sq ft (4,401.9 m2) in total.[21] Bids are estimated to value the property between HKD $3.1 billion – $5 billion.[21] In February 2021, the property was given approval from Beijing for a sale at HKD $2.6 billion to Hang Lung Properties.[22] The property was bought in June 1948 for an unknown price, and construction of the buildings was completed in 1983.[21]

There are also 13 employee residences and 14 parking lots at Wilshire Park, 12–14 Macdonnell Road.[23] In addition, the United States also owns one unit at Grenville House, and one unit at Hangking Court, 43 Cloud View Road.[23]

List of U.S. consuls-general for Hong Kong and Macau

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List of U.S. deputy consuls general (deputy principal officers) of the consulate general in Hong Kong and Macau

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Consulate General of the United States Hong Kong & Macau (August 2, 1999). "Statements on NATO Bombing of China's Embassy in Belgrade". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
  2. ^ The Consulate-General's official name is shown as 'Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau' on its web-site (http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov Archived April 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine)
  3. ^ Consulate General of the United States Hong Kong & Macau. "About us". Archived from the original on September 22, 2006.
  4. ^ "Consul General | Hong Kong & Macau – Consulate General of the United States". hongkong.usconsulate.gov. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  5. ^ Inspection of Consulate General Hong Kong, China
  6. ^ "Christopher J. Marut Appointed as Director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan" (Press release). American Institute in Taiwan. May 8, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012.
  7. ^ "Chiefs of Mission". U.S. Department of State.
  8. ^ a b c d e "'Bad' US consulate to get facelift, says envoy Kurt Tong". South China Morning Post. February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "Mission Overview." Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau. April 29, 1997. Retrieved on November 15, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "The story of how US consulate got a 999-year lease in central Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. August 18, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "Webb-site Reports". webb-site.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "US consulate, Hong Kong no comment on Snowden". June 10, 2013.
  13. ^ "Hong Kong Covid-19 cluster forces US consulate to close; new lockdown in force". South China Morning Post. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  14. ^ "Hong Kong preschool shuts as toddler among 11 new cases of Covid-19". South China Morning Post. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "US slams Chinese media for saying consulate staff in Hong Kong skipped quarantine". South China Morning Post. March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  16. ^ "Beijing restriction on US diplomatic talks with Hong Kong politicians eased". South China Morning Post. February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Office of Inspector General 2012 Report" (PDF).
  18. ^ "OIG 2017 report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Residence of the USA Consul-General [????- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong". gwulo.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "Inside the US Consul to Hong Kong's residence on The Peak". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d "US government offers to sell six Hong Kong mansions valued at US$645 million". South China Morning Post. May 30, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  22. ^ "'Beijing okays sale of US consulate-owned property' – RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "A rare 999-year lease tops America's property portfolio in Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  24. ^ "U.S.-Hong Kong Diplomatic History". [Consulate General of the United States Hong Kong & Macau.]
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  26. ^ Grant, Ulysses Simpson (2008). The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: October 1, 1880 – December 31, 1882. SIU Press. ISBN 9780809327768.
  27. ^ "No. 2731". The London Gazette. May 7, 1901. p. 3123.
  28. ^ "Bragg, Edward Stuyvesant." Historical Dictionary of the Gilded Age. Leonard Schlup. Editor James Gilbert Ryan. Armonk, NY: ME Sharpe. 2003. Google Books. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  29. ^ "About Us: History". Consulate General of the United States Hong Kong & Macau. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
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  36. ^ "US consul general in Hong Kong named as Hanscom Smith, replacing Kurt Tong as Washington's top diplomat in city and Macau". South China Morning Post. June 14, 2019.
  37. ^ "New US consul general for Hong Kong Gregory May arrives in city". South China Morning Post. September 17, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
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  42. ^ Charles Stuart Kennedy (January 19, 2000). "Foreign Affairs Oral History Project: NORMAN W. GETSINGER". The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  43. ^ "新任美駐港副總領事 蘇禮文已抵港就任" [Newly-appointed DCG Sullivan has arrived in HK]. The Kung Sheung Daily News. August 28, 1976. p. 8.
  44. ^ Former AIT Chairman – Natale H. Bellocchi (Tenure: 1990 – 1995), American Institute in Taiwan, July 6, 1990, archived from the original on December 19, 2021
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  49. ^ "Mr. Jeffrey Bader". U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Hearing Before the Subcommittees on Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, First Session, June 18, 1997. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1998. p. 49 <-- full image https://web.archive.org/web/20211221104402/https://books.google.com.tw/books?dq=Jeffrey+A.+Bader+hong+kong+deputy+1992+1995&hl=en&id=a3thQ7K4twMC&lpg=PA49&ots=4cBe4wBgRK&pg=PA49&sa=X&sig=ACfU3U1lDzivSQ3g39EQb_RvFtRNxWE61g&source=bl&ved=2ahUKEwiXgrLy0_D0AhVUD94KHShTBMoQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=Jeffrey%20A.%20Bader%20hong%20kong%20deputy%201992%201995&f=false-->. ISBN 0-16-056114-0.
  50. ^ "U.S. Department of State, Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts, October 1996: Hong Kong". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on June 16, 1997.
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  52. ^ "Kenneth Jarrett: Deputy Consul General". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on December 25, 2002.
  53. ^ "Marlene Sakaue: Deputy Consul General". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on August 16, 2004.
  54. ^ "Tom Cooney, Deputy Consul General". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013.
  55. ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission Tom Cooney". U.S. Embassy in Argentina. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018.
  56. ^ "Deputy Consul General Thomas Hodges". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019.
  57. ^ "Deputy Consul General Paul Horowitz". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019.
  58. ^ "Deputy Consul General Colin Crosby". U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  59. ^ https://hk.usconsulate.gov/deputy-consul-general/
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