IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 108 

Expressing the sense of Congress that Hong Kong’s loss of judicial and 

political autonomy would expose individuals residing in the United States 

to a judicial system subservient to the Chinese Communist Party, and 

that the United States should suspend its extradition treaty with Hong 

Kong until it can be certified that Hong Kong’s judicial independence 

has been reestablished. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 27, 2020 

Mr. CONAWAY submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that Hong Kong’s loss 

of judicial and political autonomy would expose individuals residing in the United States to a judicial system 

subservient to the Chinese Communist Party, and that 

the United States should suspend its extradition treaty 

with Hong Kong until it can be certified that Hong 

Kong’s judicial independence has been reestablished. 

Whereas, on December 19, 1984, the United Kingdom and 

the People’s Republic of China (PRC) agreed to the SinoBritish Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, 

a legal binding treaty registered with the United Nations, 

laying the framework guaranteeing the autonomy of 

Hong Kong; 


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•HCON 108 IH 

Whereas upon the transfer of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China, the National People’s Congress, in accordance with the Joint Declaration, adopted the Basic 

Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 

committing Beijing to maintaining a ‘‘one country, two 

systems’’ policy regarding Hong Kong and solidifying the 

autonomy of the region; 

Whereas the Basic Law provided the safeguards by which 

Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy and 

preserved Hong Kong’s right to self-governance and its 

highly regarded common law legal system committed to 

protecting universal human rights and upholding commercial rules and regulations; 

Whereas Congress adopted the United States-Hong Kong 

Policy Act of 1992 ensuring continued special treatment 

of Hong Kong as separate from the People’s Republic of 

China and authorized the President to suspend those protections if it were determined that Hong Kong was not 

sufficiently autonomous from the PRC; 

Whereas Hong Kong’s independent legal system and strong 

commitment to the rule of law were paramount to its success as a global financial and banking center and establishing itself as a strong and reliable trading partner with 

the United States; 

Whereas, in the 23 years of the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ 

policy, the Chinese Communist Party has made repeated 

attempts to challenge and erode the autonomy and open 

society of Hong Kong, including suppression of free 

speech and democratic institutions; 


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•HCON 108 IH 

Whereas, since June 2019, the Chinese Communist Party has 

aggressively escalated efforts to undermine and usurp 

Hong Kong’s autonomy; 

Whereas, on May 27, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 

declared that ‘‘Hong Kong does not continue to warrant 

treatment under United States laws in the same manner 

as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 

1997. No reasonable person can assert today that Hong 

Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, 

given facts on the ground.’’; 

Whereas, on May 28, 2020, the National People’s Congress 

approved a new national security law that would unravel 

the autonomy of Hong Kong and bypass the region’s 

independent legislature; 

Whereas, on June 30, 2020, the Chinese Communist Party, 

in violation of international agreements, finalized and enacted sweeping new powers over Hong Kong, ending its 

long-held political and economic autonomy and destroying 

the firewall between the two legal systems; 

Whereas, on July 3, 2020, Canada suspended its extradition 

agreement with Hong Kong; 

Whereas, on July 9, 2020, Australia suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong; and 

Whereas, on July 20, 2020, the United Kingdom suspended 

its extradition agreement with Hong Kong: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) Hong Kong’s loss of judicial and political 

4 autonomy would expose individuals residing in the 


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•HCON 108 IH 

1 United States to a judicial system subservient to the 

2 Chinese Communist Party; and 

3 (2) the United States should suspend its extra4 dition treaty with Hong Kong until it can be cer5 tified that Hong Kong’s judicial independence has 

6 been reestablished. 

Æ 


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