London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Former Hong Kong-Australia free trade negotiator named top envoy to city

Former Hong Kong-Australia free trade negotiator named top envoy to city

Career foreign affairs officer Elizabeth Ward has officially been appointed as consul general for Hong Kong and Macau following reports of visa delays.
A chief negotiator for the Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement has been appointed as the country’s next top envoy to the city amid strained ties between Beijing and Canberra exacerbated by the national security law.

Elizabeth Ward, a senior career officer with the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was officially appointed to lead the consulate in Hong Kong on Sunday, following reports that she had undergone delays in getting her visa approved by local authorities.

In April, the Australian Financial Review reported that Ward had been appointed as the new consul general to Hong Kong and Macau earlier this year, but the new role had not been formally announced due to the visa delays.

While the Australian government declined to comment at the time, Deputy Consul General Ryan Neelam had been acting in the top role since February, when the outgoing chief, Michaela Browning, departed.

Last Friday, the official residence of the Australian consul general to Hong Kong at Deep Water Bay was broken into. Preliminary investigations suggested three men were involved in the break-in, but no items were found to be missing.

Ward, who was Australia’s chief negotiator for the Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement, most recently served as the country’s first assistant secretary in the Trade, Investment and Business Engagement Division. She has previously served in Washington, New Delhi and Cairo.

Announcing Ward’s appointment on Sunday, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said: “Australia has extensive interests in Hong Kong, built on strong trade and investment connections and long-standing people-to-people links. Hong Kong is home to one of the largest Australian communities in Asia.”

Hong Kong, which signed the free-trade agreement and an investment agreement with Australia in January this year, was the fifth-largest source of the country’s total foreign investment in 2019.

But Australia’s relations with China and Hong Kong have worsened in the wake of Beijing’s imposition of the sweeping national security law on June 30.

In July, Australia said it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and give 10,000 Hongkongers on student and temporary visas a pathway to permanent residency in response to the controversial new law.

The move prompted Hong Kong to suspend extradition and other criminal justice cooperation agreements with the country, alongside Britain and Canada, in tit-for-tat retaliation for similar actions they took against the city.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×