Thread by @nathanlawkc

1. THREAD: Amid a series of strong UK responses — the Huawei ban and the suspension of its extradition treaty
with #HongKong among them — to growing signs of Chinese imperialism, @SecPompeo paid an important visit to London, where he and I had a great conversation yesterday.

2. Unlike previous meetings with top American government representatives, I enjoyed the opportunity to sit down and chat personally with Pompeo for over 20 minutes. We touched first and foremost on the latest threats of the new, Beijing-imposed National Security Law.

3. We also discussed #China's broader strategy to tighten the grip on Hong Kong and its future challenges in the global arena. I specifically highlighted the opposition camp's successful primaries held earlier this month, in which more than 600,000 people cast their votes.

4. While Hong Kongers' fight for freedom continues, I noted that Beijing is busy making plans to meddle in September's Legislative Council elections, almost certainly by once again disqualifying candidates it deems unacceptable so they won't appear on the ballot.

5. We then moved on to discuss Beijing's record of human-rights abuses in such frontier territories as #Xinjiang and #Tibet. These are places world leaders ought not to neglect as they consider their next steps in strengthening democracy against Chinese authoritarian expansion.

6. Pompeo has a long-time interest in Hong Kong. I recalled that, as a Kansas Congressman, he'd been one of very few House co-sponsors of the landmark #HKHRDA, an updated version of which would pass four years later. Now he works tirelessly and unwaveringly to implement the law.

7. So much has changed — not least my own departure from home — since I last met Pompeo in Washington with Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, and other pro-democracy leaders in May 2019. I thank @USAinUK and @hk_watch who made the arrangements for he and I to catch up. THREAD ENDS.