Hong Kong 2020 Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Hong Kong. Review OSAC’s Hong Kong-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State at the date of this report’s publication advises exercising increased caution for travel to Hong Kong due to the novel coronavirus and civil unrest. However, the Travel Advisory in effect prior to the outbreak assessed Hong Kong at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution for travel to Hong Kong due to civil unrest. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Hong Kong as a LOW-threat location for crime. The Consulate is not aware of any specific threats against U.S. citizens. Petty street crime occasionally occurs in tourist areas. Be particularly mindful of belongings in areas of high congestion, such as the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), Peak Tram, Star Ferry, Central District, Wan Chai, and large marketplaces throughout the city, where you may be more vulnerable to pickpockets. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Taking Credit, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Hong Kong has a highly developed and well-maintained road and highway network. Traffic moves on the left. During the daytime, traffic congests Hong Kong's urban areas. Each year, there are about 14,000 traffic accidents involving more than 18,000 drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Speed limits are 50 kilometers per hour (kph) (approximately 30 mph) in urban areas, 80 kph (approximately 50 mph) on highways, and 110 kph (approximately 70 mph) on expressways, unless otherwise marked. The use of seatbelts in vehicles, if available, is mandatory for all passengers. Hong Kong uses automatic photo-ticketing systems to discourage speeding. The owner of a ticketed vehicle will receive the ticket in the mail. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Public Transportation Conditions Hong Kong has a modern, efficient public transportation system composed of an integrated subway, bus, and ferry system. The majority of people use public transportation instead of driving on the congested roadways. Public transport in Hong Kong is safe and reliable, though petty crimes like pickpocketing can occur. Buses and the MTR are clean and punctual. Subway stations have signs in English and Chinese. Timetable and bus stop names typically appear in English and Chinese. Bus drivers, for the most part, speak some English. There are occasionally reports of taxi scams where drivers increase the fare on the meter or claim that the fare is in a currency other than Hong Kong dollars. Since June of 2019, protest activity has resulted in frequent disruptions to public transportation. The MTR has been especially hard hit, with entire lines and stations closing periodically for extensive repairs. Consult publicly available information such as MTR Mobile for up-to-date conditions. There have been two accidents involving ferries between Hong and Macau in recent years: the first, in 2012, resulted in 39 deaths; the second, in 2015, caused no fatalities, but over 100 injuries. The West Kowloon Station (WEK) is the terminus and only station of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The station connects to the mainland China section through a dedicated tunnel and includes a Mainland Port Area where the laws of mainland China are in force. The terminal railway station is located in Jordan, West Kowloon, near the Airport Express and Kowloon MTR Station. The Mainland Port Area is an area inside West Kowloon station that serves as a border control point between mainland China and Hong Kong. Since September 2018, Mainland Chinese immigration and police personnel operate exclusively within the area, and the laws of Mainland China, rather than Hong Kong, are in force. Once passengers pass through the Hong Kong immigration exit checkpoint on their way to mainland China inside the Train Station or on the train itself in that area, they are in the Mainland Port Area. Likewise, passengers arriving from mainland China are in the Mainland Port Area until they exit the Hong Kong immigration entry checkpoint. Chinese authorities have informed the United States they consider the Mainland Port Area to be in mainland China for all legal purposes; travelers who plan to enter the Mainland Port Area should plan accordingly. Aviation/Airport Conditions Numerous flights at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) faced disruptions or cancellations for two days in August 2019 due to protest activity. Travelers using HKG should monitor the Hong Kong International Airport website for specific information and guidance. At present only ticketed passengers may access most terminal areas. HKG is one of the largest, busiest airports in the world, providing service to around 190 destinations by over 100 airlines. Airports Council International regularly rates HKG as among the best airports worldwide. MTR and ferry services are available to and from the airport. 2 Hong Kong customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning controlled items you might be carrying while transiting Hong Kong (temporary importation or exportation). Airport security routinely and completely screens luggage loaded onto an aircraft whether belonging to a departing or transiting passenger. Discovery of weapons of any kind – including stun guns – leads to police investigation, arrest, and detention. If you bring controlled items into Hong Kong without the necessary documentation, authorities may prosecute you and seize the goods in question. Among the items that passengers must declare to customs officials are alcohol (including methyl alcohol), tobacco products, and merchandise imported for commercial purposes. Hong Kong regulates electronic cigarettes as pharmaceutical products; possession of such items without the proper authority could result in a considerable fine and up to two years in prison. Find a non-exhaustive list of controlled and/or prohibited items on the Hong Kong Country Information Sheet. Cybersecurity Issues While Hong Kong is not yet subject to the same cybersecurity laws as mainland China, travelers to Hong Kong should act as if they have no expectation of privacy when it comes to electronic communications. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Hong Kong as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The Consulate is not aware of any indigenous terrorist groups operating in Hong Kong, and there is no information suggesting any specific or credible transnational terrorist threats directed against U.S. citizens or interests. Nevertheless, one cannot rule out the possibility that a lone-wolf attacker or transnational terrorist organization would attempt to carry out an attack in Hong Kong. Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence The U.S. Department of State has assessed Hong Kong as a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Since June 2019, there have been hundreds of demonstrations resulting in nearly 7,000 arrests. Multiple demonstrations typically occur in Hong Kong each week. Visit OSAC’s Hong Kong page for extensive reporting on the protests and their effects on the U.S private-sector community. Civil Unrest The majority of the protests since June 2019 have a nexus to a controversial effort to amend the Fugitives Offenders Ordinance in a way that would have allowed Hong Kong to extradite suspected criminals to jurisdictions with which it does not currently have an extradition agreement, including the People’s Republic of China. While the Hong Kong Government formally withdrew the proposed legislation in September 2019, the protests now center on demands for additional reforms and broader political issues. Common areas for protest activity include the Tsim Sha Tsui/Mong Kok corridor along Nathan Road, East Kowloon, the Central Business District to include Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and several areas in the New Territories. The U.S. Consulate experienced over 80 demonstrations in the second half of 2019, all of which were peaceful in nature. 3 While many of Hong Kong’s demonstrations are peaceful, and police presence is normally sufficient to maintain order, protests have sometimes become violent, resulting in numerous arrests, significant damage to public transportation/property, and serious injuries to both protesters and police. One fatality linked directly to the protest activity. On October 13, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a police vehicle,