The new American Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau, Julie Eadeh, recently threw two welcome receptions that have caught some eyes—mostly because a few opposition political players showed up.
Word is, Anson Chan was spotted at Eadeh's first reception on Friday, September 19, while Emily Lau made her appearance at the follow-up on September 22. Observers familiar with the scene note that these opposition figures had once claimed to have stepped away from politics entirely, pledging to stay out of civic and political activities. Yet here they are, clearly itching to stir the pot once more.
The Consul’s Controversial Backstory
Julie Eadeh isn't new to this game. Before stepping in as Consul General, she was the head of the Political Section at the US Consulate in Hong Kong and Macau. During the fiery 2019 protests, she had meetings with opposition figures like Joshua Wong and Nathan Law — and those pics made their rounds online. Because these meetings happened amidst such a politically charged moment, she got branded by Mainland media as a “subversion expert,” accused of meddling deep in Hong Kong’s internal affairs.
US Consul General Julie Eadeh caught with Joshua Wong and Nathan Law—snapshot from the frontline of Hong Kong’s political storm.
Eadeh arrived straight at Hong Kong on August 27, replacing R. Nicholas Burns as the US Consul General. Beijing wasn’t thrilled. On August 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun basically laid down the law—calling on Eadeh to respect international conventions, keep out of China’s internal affairs, and respect Chinese sovereignty and Hong Kong’s legal framework. They also urged her to help foster healthy US-Hong Kong relations.
Old Allies, New Signals
This seasoned observer points out that the presence of Chan and Lau at these receptions isn’t just a social call—it signals a rekindling of old alliances between local opposition and foreign powers. The warning? Keep your eyes peeled for fresh attempts to disrupt Hong Kong by leaning on outside influences.
The insiders even throw in a sharp analogy: If China’s Ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, were to host a reception openly welcoming antisemitic figures backing Palestine, would then-US President Trump sit quiet? The unspoken message here? Treat others how you want to be treated, and watch the game closely.
Ariel
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Hong Kong’s national security cops have picked up a 68-year-old local guy for allegedly stirring up abstention and blank votes online ahead of the Legislative Council election. He faces charges of “seditious intent” and “electoral corruption,” and right now, he’s cooling his heels in detention while the investigation rolls on.
Insiders say police traced a steady stream of thinly veiled posts on this man’s social media—nudging folks to skip voting or spoil their ballots. Since July last year, he’s fired off around 160 posts, police say. The themes were trashing Hong Kong’s election system, hyping up resistance, egging people on to topple the government, and, yes, inviting foreign interference. We’re not talking about just one rogue, either.
Turns out, this is just a slice of the larger crackdown. By today, Hong Kong police say they’ve unraveled 14 criminal cases connected to the election—vandalism, theft, you name it—netting 18 arrests. Eight of those cases are being prosecuted.
The ghosts of elections past haunt this story. Remember the last Legislative Council race? Ted Hui Chi-fung made waves urging blank votes. Soon after, So Chun-fung, ex-president of CUHK’s student union, and three others got busted and convicted by the city’s clean-government watchdog ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) for “corrupt conduct and illegal acts” after sharing Hui’s call. Last Friday, the ICAC swooped again, nabbing another trio—this time for echoing posts by national security fugitives abroad, who are still yelling for boycotts from the safety of foreign shores.
Here’s where the plot thickens. A sharp-tongued commentator points out that these fugitives, basking in the West, love tossing firebombs online—sending minions to do their biddings while they themselves lounge in comfort. Their real aim? To curry favor with their foreign patrons by getting others arrested for illegal antics that damage Hong Kong and the nation.
Bottom line: these exiles only raise their value with “foreign masters” if local followers mindlessly parrot their messages. But if those followers end up busted or behind bars, the ringleaders simply shrug and look away.
Who’s Really Taking Risks?
Here’s a reality check—how many of the real diehards still in Hong Kong have actually engaged with these messages or dared to repost them? The silence says plenty. It’s the difference between talk and action, safety and risk. Meanwhile, foreign forces have a well-documented playbook: smear Hong Kong at every turn, especially its judicial system, and most recently, the Legislative Council elections. Don’t think these attacks are harmless—they’re meant to chip away at the city’s competitiveness and hit everyone right where it hurts: their livelihoods.
So here’s the call: don’t play the fool by spreading subversive content and risk falling into legal traps. More crucially, keep your eyes peeled for the ploys of these exiles and their foreign backers. When December 7 rolls around, get out and vote—don’t let the instigators win. The stakes are real, and the choice is yours.
