Hong Kong Watch releases updated Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office briefing

Today, Hong Kong Watch published an updated briefing on Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices. 

You can read the full briefing, Beyond Borders: HKETOs, Article 23, and the CCP’s Agenda Abroad, here.

This briefing follows Hong Kong Watch’s 2022 publication PRC Embassies in Disguise: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices are Another Overseas Arm of the CCP, which found that multiple Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) – namely in Brussels, London, Berlin, Toronto, Sydney, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC – have similar privileges and immunities to diplomatic embassies and consulates, even where the host country also has a People’s Republic of China (PRC) embassy and consulates.

There are currently 14 HKETOs around the world, many of which have diplomatic privileges and immunities. They represent Hong Kong with an annual budget of HK$601.5 million (US$76.90 million) to engage in commercial relations, public relations, and investment promotions. 

This new briefing examines the background of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, relevant data, their mandate, and then addresses the impact of Article 23 legislation on HKETOs. Finally, it collates the responses since Hong Kong Watch’s 2022 briefing on the same topic and provides recommendations. 

It recommends that governments review the status, privileges, and immunities of HKETOs in each country; review or remove the HKSAR’s seat at the World Trade Organization, its representation at the EU, and its representation at International Maritime Organization; that international lawmakers should propose that maintaining the status of HKETOs depends on Beijing not exercising more control over Hong Kong SAR; and that the special treatment of Hong Kong SAR should be reviewed.

Anouk Wear, research and policy advisor at Hong Kong Watch and author of the briefing, stated:

“As Hong Kong loses its autonomy, HKETOs increasingly promotes the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda abroad. We must see these institutions for what they really are – outposts of the Chinese Communist Party under another name – and we must review whether they still serve the original purpose and need the diplomatic privileges and immunities they have. 

Reviewing the HKETOs is a necessary response to the deterioration of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and ensuring that HKETOs cannot be used to apply the new Article 23 security legislation or other tools to repress Hong Kongers abroad.”

香港監察發表最新香港經貿辦簡報 促請各國政府審視經貿辦地位及香港特殊待遇

今天，香港監察發表有關香港經濟貿易辦事處（經貿辦）的最新簡報。

請在此處閱讀簡報全文《Beyond Borders: HKETOs, Article 23, and the CCP’s Agenda Abroad》。

這份簡報跟進2022年香港監察發表的簡報《PRC Embassies in Disguise: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices are Another Overseas Arm of the CCP》。2022年簡報發現多間香港駐海外（即布魯塞爾、倫敦、柏林、多倫多、悉尼、紐約、三藩市、華盛頓）經貿辦享有與外交大使館和領事館類似的特權和豁免權，而相應國家本身已設有中國大使館和領事館。

目前全球共有14間香港經貿辦，其中多間享有外交特權和豁免權。這些經貿辦代表香港展開商貿關係、公共關係及投資推廣方面的工作，年度預算為6.015億港元（7,690萬美元）。

新簡報探討香港經貿辦的背景、相關數據、授權職責，並討論23條立法對香港經貿辦的影響。簡報最後整理自2022年香港監察就同一主題發表簡報以來的回應，並提出建議。

簡報建議各國政府審視香港經貿辦在各國的地位、特權和豁免權；審視或撤銷香港的世界貿易組織成員身分、歐盟代表權及國際海事組織代表權；國際立法者應提出維持香港經貿辦的地位視乎北京不會對香港施加更多管制；並應審視香港的特殊待遇。