Hong Kong officials suddenly absent from the Bitcoin summit, reportedly to avoid sharing the stage with Trump’s son.

The Asian Bitcoin Summit “Bitcoin Asia,” originally scheduled to be held in Hong Kong on 8/28 and 8/29, has attracted public attention due to the appearance of a speech by Eric Trump, the son of U.S. President Trump, which led to the last-minute withdrawal of two representatives from Hong Kong.

The representative from Hong Kong originally listed as a speaker has since changed.

According to the South China Morning Post, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission ( SFC ), Eric Yip (, and Legislative Council member Johnny Ng ) were initially listed as speakers at the summit.

But by mid-August, the two names had been removed from the summit’s website. According to sources, the two representatives chose to withdraw after receiving the suggestion “not to share the stage with Eric Trump,” and it is currently unclear who made that suggestion. Other reports indicate that it may have been to avoid being misinterpreted by the outside world as having a “cooperation with Trump or intentionally currying favor.”

The original representative confirmed their absence, and the Securities and Futures Commission appointed another representative to attend.

The Asian Bitcoin Summit Forum was held in Hong Kong this time, with the organizer arranging Eric Trump as a key speaker, describing him as one of the most representative investors in the American crypto industry, and also as “the strongest advocate for Trump and the MAGA movement.”

However, the two representatives originally scheduled to attend from Hong Kong have withdrawn, and in their place, Clarence Shen, who is responsible for financial technology policy at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, will appear on the speakers’ list. The SFC stated that Yip Chi-hang is absent due to a “business trip,” while Ng Kit-chong withdrew due to “family reasons.”

At the time of the escalation of the US-China trade war, Hong Kong is caught in a “sandwich” predicament.

This incident comes at a time when the US-China trade war is intensifying, and Hong Kong is also affected by the trade war reinitiated by Trump. This year, it has been included in a new round of US tariff lists, losing the exemptions it had during the first Trump administration.

Therefore, Hong Kong officials avoided sharing the stage with members of the Trump family, which is seen by outsiders as the political sensitivities and diplomatic pressures that Hong Kong may face in the process of promoting its positioning as an “Asian cryptocurrency financial center.”

This article Hong Kong officials unexpectedly absent from the Bitcoin summit, reportedly to avoid sharing the stage with Trump’s son first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.