Political situation
Written by: Chen Jialuo Cai Weinan
2020-11-06 07:00
Last update date: 2020-11-06 07:00
Following the sale of six super bungalows on Shoushan Village Road in the South District earlier, the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau has made another move.
"Hong Kong 01" learned that the US Consulate in Hong Kong plans to carry out a large-scale renovation and needs to be temporarily relocated to another place for operation, involving about 600 staff. However, no developer or owner has been found to rent out the office.
In response to the enquiry, the US Consulate General in Hong Kong admitted that the US government plans to renovate and optimize US properties in Hong Kong, including the Consulate General in Hong Kong. The renovation project requires the temporary placement of some staff to other places. of Overseas Buildings Operations) will look for alternative places that can be rented out and meet operational needs.
The spokesperson pointed out that the process of finding new places is currently in very early stages, and does not comment on site selection, lease negotiations with developers or landlords, negotiation details, etc.
People with sensitive nature: the owner may worry that politics is incorrect
According to a person familiar with the matter, the US consulate had started looking for office rentals in the market three months ago, and locked the target area within the two districts of Admiralty and Central, but it has been unable to find new places.
The person familiar with the matter continued that there is currently no shortage of vacant commercial buildings in the Central District, but large developers or owners who hold office properties in the core commercial district may not be willing to lease properties to relevant agencies because they are worried about political inaccuracy.
In fact, the current vacancy of office buildings in the core area is at an extremely high level.
According to statistics, as of September, the vacancy rate of commercial buildings in Central has risen to 6.8%, a record high in the past ten years. However, the work of the consulate or the need for special requirements or configuration may increase the difficulty of finding a floor.
Unknown how many consulate staff need to move out
The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong was established in 1843. At first, there was only one Consul General in the residence to handle affairs.
In the early 20th century, the Consulate General moved to Ice House Street and HSBC Building. It was not until the end of the 1950s that the Consulate General moved to its current location at No. 26 Garden Road, Central.
The Consulate General is directly under the US State Department. It is the only US consulate in the world that can independently exercise its powers. In addition to providing consular services for US citizens, it also provides various US visa application services for Hong Kong and Macau residents.
The current consul general is Hanscom Smith.
The Consulate General rarely disclosed the number of staff in Hong Kong in the past. The former Secretary of Security Li Shaoguang pointed out in 2014 that the US Consulate General in Hong Kong is larger than other regions, and the number of staff has increased from over 600 before the reunification to over 1,000 now. However, a spokesperson for the US Consulate retorted that the speculation was "outrageously wrong." At that time, there were only 140 American staff and 180 Hong Kong staff, but Li Shaoguang questioned it again or it was just a "superficial number."
Regarding the number of employees involved in the relocation, visa application, etc., the spokesperson of the consulate said that there is no information to provide.
▼The U.S. side sells the land in Shoushan Village Road in the Southern District by Hang Lung Properties for about 2.5 billion Hong Kong dollars ▼
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The consulate land lease was approved for 999 years in 1999
The US Consulate General in Hong Kong has been leased from the British Hong Kong government since 1950. The lease term is 75 years, and the annual rent is 2,092 yuan, which can be renewed for 75 years after it expires.
There are restrictions on the sale of land. If the U.S. consulate moves or closes, it must be returned to the Hong Kong government.
However, there is a special clause in the contract. During the contract period, the US government can exercise the option to purchase the freehold of the land.
Independent stock commentator David Webb disclosed in 2018 that the US government exercised the special terms of the land lease in 1999. After discussing with the Hong Kong government, the land was purchased for 44 million yuan. The Hong Kong government granted a 999-year land lease, which was confirmed by the Lands Department at that time.
The sale of 2.6 billion Shouchen Mountain land has attracted attention
The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong has been changing frequently in recent months. In September this year, the U.S. government made an open tender for 37 Shoushan Village Road, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong. Hang Lung Properties bought it for HK$2.566 billion, which is equivalent to a floor price of 5 per square foot. ,4138 yuan, which is the lower limit of market expectations.
The consulate general pointed out at the time that the transaction was a purely commercial decision and emphasized that it would not affect the operation of the consulate or its employees. The proceeds will be invested in other properties held by the US in Hong Kong. The transaction is expected to be completed on December 31 this year.
U.S. election 2020
