Diplomatic tensions between the United States and China have again flared in Hong Kong, as Beijing’s top envoy in the city issued pointed warnings to the newly appointed U.S. Consul General, Julie Eadeh, over her diplomatic activities. The episode, which unfolded in late September and early October 2025, has drawn renewed attention to the delicate balance of international relations in the city and the broader struggle for influence between the world’s two largest economies.
On September 30, 2025, Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Hong Kong office of China’s foreign ministry, met with Eadeh to express official concerns about her conduct since taking office in August. According to a statement released by Cui’s office and reported by the Associated Press, the Chinese diplomat accused Eadeh of engaging in activities that, in Beijing’s view, crossed the line into interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs. The statement specifically referenced Eadeh’s invitations to pro-democracy figures at U.S. consulate events—a move that has angered Beijing and its supporters in the city.
During the meeting, Cui laid out what he called the “Four Don’ts,” a set of guidelines for Eadeh’s diplomatic engagement in Hong Kong. The guidelines, as detailed by the Associated Press and other outlets, instructed Eadeh not to meet with individuals she “shouldn’t meet with,” not to collude with “anti-China forces,” not to assist or fund activities that might undermine Hong Kong’s stability, and not to interfere with national security cases in the city. Cui “urged Eadeh to abide by fundamental norms governing international relations including non-interference in domestic affairs and make a clean break with anti-China forces,” the statement said.
These warnings did not go unanswered. On October 2, 2025, the U.S. State Department publicly dismissed Cui’s admonitions, reiterating the standard diplomatic principle that U.S. envoys are expected to advance American interests wherever they are posted. “U.S. diplomats represent our nation and are charged with advancing U.S. interests globally, which is standard practice for diplomats around the world, including in Hong Kong,” the department said in a statement. This response, reported by multiple agencies, underscored Washington’s view that Eadeh’s actions were entirely in line with international diplomatic norms.
The episode comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Trade negotiations between the U.S. and China have been ongoing, with both sides seeking to manage a relationship that is fraught with disputes over technology, tariffs, and regional security. The diplomatic spat in Hong Kong, while not unprecedented, adds another layer of complication to an already complex set of interactions.
Beijing’s response to Eadeh’s activities has been amplified through its official channels. The office overseeing Hong Kong affairs for the Chinese government has reposted a series of articles from pro-Beijing media criticizing Eadeh. One such article described her as a promoter of a “color revolution,” a term frequently used by Chinese authorities to characterize mass protest movements as foreign-instigated efforts to topple the government. The same article mentioned Eadeh’s meetings with prominent pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law during the massive anti-government protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing’s media and officials have often referred to those protests as “black violence,” emphasizing what they see as the destructive and subversive nature of the demonstrations.
Another article took issue with Eadeh’s decision to invite former Hong Kong officials Anson Chan and Emily Lau to events at the consulate. Both Chan and Lau have long been associated with the city’s pro-democracy movement. Chan, in particular, drew the ire of pro-Beijing politicians when she met with then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Washington in March 2019, just months before the eruption of the mass protests. Since the imposition of a sweeping national security law by Beijing in 2020—a move that has been widely criticized by Western governments and rights groups—Chan has kept a low profile, as the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong has been largely suppressed.
The “Four Don’ts” outlined by Cui reflect China’s increasingly assertive approach to foreign diplomats stationed in Hong Kong. The guidelines—don’t meet certain individuals, don’t collude with anti-China forces, don’t support destabilizing activities, and don’t interfere in national security—are aimed squarely at curtailing the kind of engagement that Western diplomats have long practiced in the city. For Beijing, such restrictions are justified by what it sees as repeated attempts by foreign actors to influence Hong Kong’s political trajectory, particularly during the 2019 protests and their aftermath.
For the United States, however, these actions are part and parcel of standard diplomatic engagement. The U.S. State Department’s response, as reported by Reuters and other outlets, made clear that “advancing U.S. interests globally” is the core mission of its diplomats, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere. The department’s statement did not address the specifics of Eadeh’s meetings or invitations but insisted that her conduct adhered to global diplomatic norms.
The dispute is reminiscent of earlier controversies. During the 2019 Hong Kong protests, U.S. diplomatic involvement—including meetings with pro-democracy leaders—drew sharp rebukes from Beijing. The Chinese government has long accused Western countries of fomenting unrest in Hong Kong, while U.S. officials have maintained that supporting civil society and human rights is a legitimate part of their diplomatic mission.
Since the 2020 national security law was enacted, the space for dissent in Hong Kong has narrowed considerably. The law has led to the arrest of dozens of activists, the shuttering of independent news outlets, and a sharp decline in public protest. Many former leaders of the pro-democracy movement, including Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, have been imprisoned or have gone into exile. Figures like Anson Chan and Emily Lau, once prominent in public life, now keep a lower profile to avoid running afoul of the new legal regime.
Against this backdrop, the current dispute over Eadeh’s diplomatic activities is more than a minor diplomatic spat—it is a reflection of the deeper contest between China’s vision of sovereignty and control, and the Western commitment to engagement and advocacy for civil society. For Beijing, the presence of foreign diplomats at events with pro-democracy figures is evidence of meddling; for Washington, it is simply the work of diplomacy.
As trade talks continue and both sides seek to manage their broader relationship, the episode serves as a potent reminder of the ongoing tensions in Hong Kong—tensions that are unlikely to dissipate soon. Each diplomatic move, each meeting, each public statement is scrutinized for its wider implications, not just for the city but for the global balance of power.
For now, Julie Eadeh remains in her post, and the U.S. State Department stands by her. The “Four Don’ts” may set the terms of engagement for foreign diplomats in Hong Kong, but the battle over influence—and the city’s future—shows little sign of abating.