‘Highlight of my career': Former US consul general Gregory May on his tenure and a changing Hong Kong

HKFP

12 hours ago

When Gregory May came to Hong Kong in 1992, he stayed at Chungking Mansions – a sprawling, labyrinthine building in Tsim Sha Tsui known for its affordable guesthouses and cultural diversity.
At the time, May was a 21-year-old university student passing through Hong Kong en route to Taiwan, where he had enrolled in a one-year programme to study Chinese.
After finishing his undergraduate degree and a stint in journalism, May joined the US government for a career in diplomacy. His job took him to places including Italy, Mongolia and mainland China, and in September 2022, Hong Kong.
During his last week in the city, 55-year-old May was back at Chungking Mansions, where he enjoyed a cup of masala chai and had his face threaded. After serving as the consul general for Hong Kong and Macau for almost three years, May has moved to Beijing to become second-in-command at the embassy there.
Speaking to HKFP last Sunday at his home near the Peak, the diplomat said he was leaving Hong Kong with 'genuine warm feelings' for the city.
Outside, in preparation for a farewell party for the consul general, house staff inflated bouncy castles – entertainment for the kids while the adults mingle.
'You can believe that Hong Kong is a wonderful city and still disagree with the policies of the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong governments,' May told HKFP.
'Testy' relationship
During May's time as the top US diplomat in Hong Kong, the city enacted its second national security law, two landmark national security trials were underway, and major pro-democracy parties disbanded.
There have also been 'ups and downs' in the broader US-China ties, May added.
Amid these developments, May described the US government's relationship with Hong Kong authorities as 'testy with room for dialogue.'
The diplomat said his 'main concern' during his tenure had been Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Lai is on trial for conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
However, 'our concern goes beyond Jimmy Lai… you have people who are in jail for participating in political activity that was specifically allowed for in the Basic Law,' May said. 'People [are] in jail for criticising the government online.'
'That's been difficult to witness, and over the three years, that's gotten more challenging in terms of human rights.'
In response to HKFP's enquiries, the Hong Kong government said that attempts to 'procure a defendant's evasion of the criminal justice process' are a 'blatant act' of undermining the rule of law.
US politicians should 'immediately stop interfering in [Hong Kong]'s internal affairs and the independent exercise of judicial power,' it added.
May also commented on the Hong Kong police's arrest warrants and bounties on 19 overseas activists under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Some of these activists now live in the US, and at least one of them is a US citizen.
'Their alleged crimes [include] things they've said in the United States in our case, under our constitutional protections,' he said, adding that the Hong Kong police were trying to 'suppress free speech in my country.'
In its reply to HKFP, the Hong Kong government said the security law's extraterritorial effect 'fully aligns with the principles of international law.'
'Those absconders hiding in the US and other Western countries are wanted because they continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security,' it wrote.
Still, May said the US had 'good communication overall' with Hong Kong, and that there had been solid cooperation on issues such as combating drug shipments and scams.
He added that several lawmakers have been open to discussion despite their disagreements on certain US and Hong Kong policies.
'There is still a group… in some circles of the government that still value maintaining cooperation,' he said.
Responding to May's comment about the 'testy' US-Hong Kong relationship, the city's authorities pointed out the ties between the two governments in areas such as trade, education and culture. The US's trade in goods with Hong Kong supports about 140,000 jobs in the US, they said.
'The shared interests between Hong Kong and the US have allowed us to develop a multifaceted and longstanding relationship over the years,' the government said.
'Pressure from outside'
The US consulate has not been immune to the city's politicised landscape, May said. Outside of the law, the diplomat said he had observed 'softer repressive measures' aimed at stifling certain groups' 'perfectly legal activities' – and he himself had experienced that first hand.
Like the Democratic Party, the city's largest pro-democracy political party, and the Hong Kong Journalists Association, which have faced difficulties securing venues for their annual dinners, the US consulate has encountered similar problems with finding hosts for its events, May said.
'We're doing something in an outside venue, and suddenly there's a plumbing problem over there, or there's some excuse for why the venue is no longer available,' he said.
May said it 'hasn't happened very often,' but it had been with 'increasing frequency.'
'It's very clear that this is pressure from outside. Phone calls are made… they get the message that they shouldn't be hosting anything,' he said, adding that these incidents happened closer to the end of his time here.
In response, the government told HKFP it had 'no comment' and that rights and freedoms remain protected.
Compared with the earlier parts of his tenure, May said he received fewer invitations and had fewer opportunities to give talks at secondary schools to promote higher education in the US.
He said he had also had requests to speak at universities rescinded, which he attributed to 'external pressure.'
May also expressed concerns about the city's media landscape, saying there had been a 'real deterioration.'
Regarding press freedom, the diplomat lamented the demise of political cartoonist Wong Kei-kwan, known as 'Zunzi.' The cartoonist, known for his satirical takes on current affairs, used to have a regular column in the Chinese-language local newspaper Ming Pao.
Fluent in Mandarin, May said he subscribed to Ming Pao to keep up his Chinese reading and to read Zunzi's cartoons.
The comic strip was suspended in May 2023 after being criticised by authorities.
'I love the cartoons by Zunzi,' May said. 'They're funny, [and] it's a challenge to figure out the Cantonese and the special sayings.'
'He criticised the United States, he criticised a lot of different people in those cartoons, and we can't see them anymore,' he said. 'And we all know why.'
The Hong Kong government has repeatedly said that press freedom is not absolute and defended the media landscape, calling it 'as vibrant as ever.'
Going local
The turbulent relationship between the US and China – and by extension, Hong Kong – may have defined May's tenure in the city. But that is perhaps not what most Hongkongers will remember him for.
Videos on the US consulate's Facebook and Instagram pages featuring him shopping at a wet market and riding a minibus, while showing off his earnest, if not imperfect, Cantonese, have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.
A four-second clip posted last month, showing him perfectly splitting a piece of tissue in two, has over 300,000 views on Facebook.
'I just found out that many people in Hong Kong have a habit of sharing tissues. Do you think I tore mine the right way?' the caption reads.
May said his time in Hong Kong had 'really been the highlight of my career.'
Besides the people, the diplomat said he would miss his walks to the Peak from his residence, Ocean Park trips with his son, and above all else, food.
'Hong Kong has so many Michelin-star restaurants… but I think the best places to eat are the ones that don't take Octopus or credit card. Cash only,' he said.
The diplomat counts wonton noodles and two-dish rice as his favourites. His go-tos for the latter are preserved sausage and a vegetable like xiao bai cai, a type of Chinese cabbage.
Reflecting on the political developments during his almost three years in Hong Kong, May said he would still encourage Americans to move to the city.
'You just have to be knowledgeable about some of the changes here. You need to be mindful of things like the national security law and Article 23,' he said, referring to the homegrown security law passed last year.
'Hong Kong has changed. Hong Kong, fundamentally, is not the free society that it used to be.'