Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Hketo) Certification Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1103, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, as amended.

This bill recognizes that Beijing has ripped apart any credible notion of Hong Kong's autonomy and has undone the ``one country, two systems'' framework. In doing so, Beijing betrayed not only the people of Hong Kong but the commitments it made to the whole world.

Hong Kong is no longer a bastion of the rule of law, no longer a place of political freedom, and no longer a place where opinions can be voiced freely. Today, over 1,800 political prisoners sit behind bars. Trials are held in secret, and justice is sent to mainland China. The freedoms once cherished in Hong Kong are disappearing rapidly.

The bill in front of us today calls on the President to determine whether the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States should continue to get the privileges, exemptions, and immunities which were offered based on Hong Kong's distinct autonomous status. After all, why should we treat Hong Kong as different from China now when the Chinese Communist Party is tightening its grip over Hong Kong's political and governing system?

This bill is timely and necessary. As we move forward, it is critical the State Department has the ability to assist both the hundreds of U.S. businesses operating and the over 80,000 American citizens living in Hong Kong. We need to make sure that our actions aren't indirectly strengthening Beijing's grip on Hong Kong's politics or its governance.

I had proposed changes to this legislation during our markup to address some of these concerns, but, unfortunately, these were not accepted by the majority.

After this bill passes, I hope that the executive branch and Congress can consider these issues together in a bipartisan manner so that we have one voice and so that with that one voice we may hold Beijing and Hong Kong accountable and protect American interests with one voice.

Finally, I will thank Representatives Chris Smith for all of his hard work on the bill as well as Representative Jim McGovern for introducing this important piece of legislation. In that spirit, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, over the last year alone, we have seen Beijing and Hong Kong authorities crack down further on dissent and free expression at home and abroad.

In March, they enacted national security legislation under article 23 of the Basic Law to once again fundamentally erode the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers.

I am also especially concerned about Beijing's use of transnational repression on our shores, where we have seen democracy advocates, including a U.S. citizen, charged under the national security law, with rewards offered for their capture.

This bill is necessary right now because we need to ensure that Hong Kong's economic and trade offices in the United States are not being used by Beijing to execute its transnational repression here in the United States against those simply standing for freedom and democracy.

I hope all of our colleagues will join all of us here on the floor in supporting this timely and important bill.

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