Photo/Illutration Kurt Tong responds to an interview in his Washington, D.C. office. (Kenji Minemura)

With global attention riveted on Hong Kong and how China will deal with the protests there, The Asahi Shimbun asked Kurt Tong, the former U.S. consul general for Hong Kong and Macao, why the situation has become so protracted and what the international community should do to help resolve the issue.

Excerpts of the interview follow:

Question: What are the reasons for the protracted nature of the protests in Hong Kong?

Tong: I think the most important cause is the anxiety about the future of the one country, two systems framework.

I think that the governor, Carrie Lam, and her staff didn't sufficiently understand how sensitive the issue of extradition was, and then they misinterpreted public opinion.

Q: Beijing has insisted that the U.S. government is providing support to the protesters. Is there any validity to that claim?

A: Just not true. We've got 1,400 U.S. companies that have major operations in Hong Kong. The United States benefits from a stable, prosperous Hong Kong.

My advice to the White House would be to keep the Hong Kong issue and the trade issue separate.

I don't think it's useful to have a non-economic issue, which is the spirit and future of Hong Kong, tied to a trade negotiation. I think it would just create less trust between the United States and China.

Q: What will be the effects of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 passed by the U.S. Senate?

A: A few demonstrators may take encouragement from Congress passing the act, but the practical impact will be small and quickly fade.

Precipitously de-certifying Hong Kong (as a distinct entity for trade purposes) could have the effect of harming Hong Kongers and U.S. interests more than it harms China.

Q: What are your thoughts about reports that China could deploy armed police to Hong Kong?

A: China has not sent in the troops because it would be inconsistent with one country, two systems.

I think it's highly appropriate for foreign governments to remind China of its obligations, but also of the fact that everybody's best interests, including China's, are best served by allowing Hong Kong to be different and it's also a value to China in the global economy.

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Kenji Minemura worked as the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent in Washington, D.C., and previously also worked as a correspondent in Beijing.