U.S. House and Senate Pass Bill Supporting Hong Kong
A U.S. ship pulls into Hong Kong’s ports. (U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau)
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed in both the House and the Senate this week by an overwhelming majority. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA 02), Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ 04), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the bill in June, around the time when the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong began.
"The people of Hong Kong see what's coming—they see the steady effort to erode the autonomy and their freedoms," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said at the start of the Senate debate, accusing Beijing of furthering policies of “violence and repression” within Hong Kong.
The passage of the measure comes after almost six months of unrest in Hong Kong and follows a week of violent clashes as police laid siege to a university campus. Police have gone on record stating that they had arrested or recorded information on around one thousand people in relation to the PolyU protest.
Elsewhere in the city, protesters disrupted transport networks, forcing delays to underground trains and blocking roads as schools reopened after days of being shut down during protests.
The bill declares United States support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and will be set before President Trump in the next few days. The legislation aims to safeguard the civil rights of the citizens of Hong Kong, linking Hong Kong’s special trade status to its continued autonomy from China.
The bill also allows for the State Department to annually evaluate the political autonomy of Hong Kong so that it qualifies for more favorable trading terms with the U.S, which plays into its status as a world center for international trade. Any official in Hong Kong who is responsible for violating human rights will face sanctions, as well as visa restrictions.
The policy will likely damage relations between the United States and China, which are already strained due to the ongoing trade war. Chinese officials warned of strict countermeasures that will be imposed on the United States, should the bill be signed into law. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said the act “neglects facts and truth” and warned China would “have to take strong countermeasures.” This could factor in Trump’s decision to sign or veto the bill. The president will have ten days to make a decision, including extra time over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Protesters in Hong Kong are urging President Trump to sign. Members of the pro-democracy movement have frequently waved US flags and called for support from Washington at their rallies. Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, commented that “For the protestors and the pro-democracy camp, this is a fairly important piece of moral support coming from the U.S.,” he says.