Date: Thursday, September 12, 2019
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Atlantic Council

(1030 15th St NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20005)

Opening Remarks By

Amb. Kurt Tong
Former US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau;
Partner, The Asia Group

Panel Discussion Featuring

Dr. Richard C. Bush
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author,
Hong Kong in the Shadow of China: Living with the Leviathan

Ms. Sarah Cook
Senior Research Analyst for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,
Freedom House

Mr. Clay Lowery
Former Assistant Secretary for International Affairs,
US Department of the Treasury;
Executive Vice President, Institute of International Finance

Amb. Kurt Tong
Former US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau;
Partner, The Asia Group

Moderated by

Mr. Olin Wethington
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security for a public panel discussion on Hong Kong’s current political crisis and its future. The past three months of public protests have posed a profound challenge to the political and economic stability of Hong Kong, and perhaps more fundamentally to China’s sovereign claim over the island territory and its “one country, two systems” formulation.

Can Hong Kong go back to “normal” or Beijing backdown? Or, is the situation in Hong Kong tracking to an unpredictable, chaotic, and even violent future? What is the depth of Hong Kong public opposition against Chinese encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy and its legacy of respect for rule of law and human rights? Is there a durable peaceful outcome that can be accepted by all parties? Are Hong Kong’s days as a major international financial center over? What would be the implications of military intervention by China? What would be the likely international response to escalating force by Hong Kong police or China, and the implications for the China’s periphery in particular? How should the response of the US Administration to the current crisis in Hong Kong be assessed?

The speakers will seek to provide insight on these timely questions.

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world. The Center honors General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy of service and embodies his ethos of nonpartisan commitment to the cause of security, support for US leadership in cooperation with allies and partners, and dedication to the mentorship of the next generation of leaders.

On Twitter, follow @ACScowcroft and use #ACAsia to join the conversation!

This invitation is open to the public and will be webcast online. The event is open to the press and on the record.