A UK parliamentary group has called on Wimbledon to drop HSBC as a sponsor over the bank’s backing of Hong Kong’s controversial national security law.
UK lawmakers from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong have written a letter to the Wimbledon chief executive Sally Boltonurging the tennis tournament organizer to sever ties with HSBC which publicly supported the city’s national security law enacted in 2020.
“This year, as July 1 marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, we must show Hong Kongers that they are not alone, that those who support their oppression will not benefit,” according to a ‘Telegraph’ report citing the letter accusing HSBC of profiting from ‘human rights abuses’.
The 135th edition of Wimbledon will begin on June 27.
Bank, Sports, Politics
It is not the first time that organizers of sporting events have come under fire for partnering with Hong Kong banks that backed the security law.
“Obviously, Wimbledon, Liverpool FC and other sports organizations should not accept sponsorship from banks which are now glorifying the Chinese dictatorship seeking to destroy the rule of law in Hong Kong,” said one. British Labor Party politician and member of the House of Lords. Andre Adonis in a report to HSBC and rival UK Asia-focused lender Standard Chartered in 2020.