August 26, 2020 9:41 PM
Pompeo cited reports of Hong Kong-based executives at Next Media being unable to access their HSBC bank accounts and said the bank was “maintaining accounts for individuals who have been sanctioned for denying freedom for Hong Kongers, while shutting accounts for those seeking freedom.” “We stand ready to help the British government and its companies resist CCP bullying and stand for freedom.”Britain’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pompeo’s assertion that China was bullying the UK.
Last month, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reprimanded HSBC and other banks for supporting China’s new security law, saying the rights of the people of Hong Kong should not be sacrificed for bankers’ bonuses.