An in-person discussion with Libo Liu, “What is happening in Hong Kong and why it matters to us,” is the next presentation in the Hobbs Library Speaker Series at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell.

The late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping had promised the British rulers that the capitalist system and way of life Hong Kong people had enjoyed for decades would not change for at least 50 years after London handed sovereignty over to Beijing. But 23 years later on June 30, 2020, China’s new paramount leader Xi Jinping forced the National Security Law upon Hong Kong’s 7 million people. The impact has been so abrupt and brutal that even Beijing has stopped saying the slogan “50 years no change” How did that happen? What does it mean to the US and to the world? Will it affect ordinary Americans? Join us for a discussion with Libo Liu, a veteran journalist who lived in Hong Kong and covered it for over two decades.

Libo Liu has been with the Voice of America Mandarin Service in Washington, D.C., for nearly 25 years. Prior to his current position as a news editor, he served as Congressional Correspondent, Pentagon Correspondent, National Political Correspondent, and traveled to and covered the Asia Pacific region extensively. Liu served multiple assignments in Hong Kong over the years, including as Hong Kong Bureau Chief from 2009 to 2012. In 2019, he led a team to cover the 2019 Hong Kong protests that often saw violent clashes between the protesters and the police. He lives with his wife and son in Washington, D.C., and spends a lot of time every year in the western foothills of Maine.

This is an in-person talk, but please check the library website at hobbslibrary.org on the day for any changes or updates. For more information, contact the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library at 207-925- 3177.

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