III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 596 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Hong Kong national security 

law proposed by the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

would violate the obligations of that government under the 1984 SinoBritish Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law and calling 

upon all free nations of the world to stand with the people of Hong 

Kong. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2020 

Mr. HAWLEY (for himself, Mr. LEE, Mr. COTTON, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. 

MCSALLY, Mr. PETERS, Mr. WICKER, Mrs. LOEFFLER, Mr. SULLIVAN, 

Mr. RUBIO, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. DAINES, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr. 

BRAUN, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. BOOZMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JUNE 25, 2020 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Hong Kong 

national security law proposed by the Government of 

the People’s Republic of China would violate the obligations of that government under the 1984 Sino-British 

Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law and 

calling upon all free nations of the world to stand with 

the people of Hong Kong. 

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

has proposed a new national security law for Hong Kong 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

SRES 596 ATS 

that would ban secession, subversion of state power, and 

foreign interference, as defined by the Government of the 

People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas, if the new national security law is passed, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is expected to 

use this law to justify and facilitate an expanded crackdown against peaceful protests and other forms of nonviolent protest by the people of Hong Kong; 

Whereas this proposed law constitutes a significant escalation 

in the campaign by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and its proxies in Hong Kong to erase 

the basic liberties and human rights promised to the people of Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint 

Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law; 

Whereas the announcement by the Government of the People’s Republic of China of its intent to pass this new national security law reflects that government’s fundamental opposition not only to the basic rights and liberties of free persons championed by the people of Hong 

Kong and the United States, but also to upholding its obligations under international law; and 

Whereas the efforts by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to silence peaceful protestors in Hong 

Kong are part and parcel of a broader hegemonic vision 

that would see the Government of the People’s Republic 

of China impose its will upon all free people of Asia and 

beyond: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the Hong Kong national security law pro3 posed by the Government of the People’s Republic of 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

SRES 596 ATS 

1 China would violate the legal obligations of that gov2 ernment under— 

3 (A) the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declara4 tion, which guarantees for 50 years the protec5 tion of the basic rights and freedoms of the 

6 people of Hong Kong, including those of speech, 

7 press, assembly, association, travel, movement, 

8 correspondence, and strike; and 

9 (B) the Hong Kong Basic Law, which re10 serves the authority for enacting laws prohib11 iting treason, secession, sedition, subversion, 

12 and foreign interference to the Government of 

13 the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; 

14 and 

15 (2) the United States Government should use 

16 all diplomatic means available, including targeted 

17 sanctions, to— 

18 (A) dissuade the Government of the Peo19 ple’s Republic of China from passing the pro20 posed Hong Kong national security law; 

21 (B) compel the Government of the People’s 

22 Republic of China to rescind the proposed Hong 

23 Kong national security law, if it is passed; and 

24 (C) rally all free nations to stand with the 

25 people of Hong Kong against increasingly seVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Jun 25, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR596.ATS SR596

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

SRES 596 ATS 

1 vere violations by the Government of the Peo2 ple’s Republic of China of the rights and lib3 erties guaranteed to them under the 1984 Sino4 British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong 

5 Basic Law. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS