Julie Eadeh was due to succeed her predecessor, Gregory May, who left Hong Kong last month to assume duties as the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Beijing.
A career member of the senior foreign service with the rank of minister counsellor, she assumed duties as the US consul general in Hong Kong this month, according to a statement by the US consulate on Wednesday.
The Post reported in July that Eadeh, a career diplomat who served as the political section chief at the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macau during the 2019 protests, would take the role, subject to Beijing’s approval.
Top diplomats, including ambassadors and consuls general, must obtain the host nation’s agreement or permission from the receiving state before they can perform their duties, according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
The US State Department said it had no official comment on the matter.
The diplomatic community in Hong Kong is closely watching Eadeh’s appointment, with many expecting it to raise Beijing’s eyebrows after she was caught in controversy for meeting with opposition activists in the city during the 2019 anti-government protests.
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