Hong Kong Officials Withdraw from Bitcoin Asia 2025 Amid Eric Trump Appearance

A senior Hong Kong regulator and a legislator have pulled out of Bitcoin Asia 2025 amid the planned appearance of Donald Trump's son Eric Trump. This is one of the world’s largest crypto conferences set to occur in Hong Kong on August 28 and 29. The withdrawals came after Eric Trump , son of U.S. President Donald Trump, was confirmed as a featured speaker. Eric Yip Chee-hang, director of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission, and legislator Johnny Ng Kit-chong both initially planned to speak but have since withdrawn from the official agenda. Sources told the South China Morning Post that there had been an instruction for lawmakers to avoid the event if it featured Eric Trump. Political Sensitivity Amid US-China Tensions The move highlights the sensitivity of Hong Kong’s role in crypto development amid strained China-U.S. relations. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to Beijing’s think tank, said officials wanted to avoid any impression that Hong Kong was aligning with or flattering the Trump administration. The Trump family ’s deep connections in Bitcoin-related ventures have also drawn criticism in the past for potential conflicts of interest. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the U.S. has rolled out crypto-friendly regulations, while also escalating trade tensions with China. Hong Kong, caught in the middle, has been hit with U.S. tariffs as high as 145% on its exports. Eric Trump’s Role at Bitcoin Asia Despite the withdrawals, Eric Trump remains a key attraction for the event. He will speak for two Friday sessions titled “All in on Bitcoin” and “Bitcoin Takes Over the World.”  Eric co-founded the mining venture American Bitcoin and has links to World Liberty Financial, a family-backed digital asset initiative. The presence of a Trump family member highlights the U.S. administration’s push to position itself as the “crypto capital of the planet” while building global influence through Bitcoin. Hong Kong’s Push for Digital Assets Meanwhile, Hong Kong continues its drive to establish itself as Asia’s crypto hub. The city rolled out its updated Policy Statement 2.0 on Digital Assets in June. It also enforced a stablecoin ordinance on August 1, enabling real-time, low-cost cross-border transactions. Meanwhile, Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, downplayed political motives. According to him, the withdrawal decisions were personal. He argued that Eric Trump’s participation reflects Hong Kong’s rising importance on the global crypto stage. Ultimately, Bitcoin Asia returns to Hong Kong for its second edition. But Eric Trump’s attendance is drawing global attention. The conference highlights opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong as it seeks to balance crypto innovation with political realities.