U.S. envoy summoned by Beijing amid dispute over Hong Kong data laws

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Trump Mulls deployment of Marines to Iran, Houthis strike Israel as war continues Expert says the upcoming week will be a pivotal moment in the Iran war. Here’s why Leading broker sees gold falling to $3,700 as a real possibility U.S. tech pullback mirrors late stages of dotcom era, strategists say (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) U.S. envoy summoned by Beijing amid dispute over Hong Kong data laws By Author Simon Mugo Economy Published 03/29/2026, 04:34 AM U.S. envoy summoned by Beijing amid dispute over Hong Kong data laws 0 AAPL -1.62% STAN -1.25% HSBC -0.55% 0593xq 0.55% Investing.com -- Tensions between Washington and Beijing have intensified following a formal summons of the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, Julie Eadeh. The diplomatic move by China’s Foreign Ministry follows a security alert issued by the U.S. consulate regarding new legislative powers that allow Hong Kong authorities to demand passwords and decryption access for electronic devices during national security investigations. Upgrade to InvestingPro for a deeper dive into market-moving news Commissioner Cui Jianchun reportedly urged the U.S. to "immediately cease all interference" in internal affairs, marking a fresh low in bilateral relations since the implementation of the new rules on March 23. Data privacy and the national security framework The core of the dispute centers on the U.S. consulate’s warning that it is now a criminal offense, punishable by up to one year in prison, for any individual, including U.S. citizens, to refuse police requests for device access. The alert further noted that the Hong Kong government now possesses broader authority to seize personal devices as evidence if they are deemed linked to national security offenses. Hong Kong’s government sought to clarify on Friday that police require "legal authorization" to search a device. The lack of clarity regarding the threshold for such warrants has raised signifi...