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[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 271 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 271

 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to the international 
   obligation of the People's Republic of China to allow an elected 
 legislature in Hong Kong after June 30, 1997, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 26, 1996

   Mr. Helms, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, reported the 
    following original resolution; which was placed on the calendar

                             June 28, 1996

                        Considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to the international 
   obligation of the People's Republic of China to allow an elected 
 legislature in Hong Kong after June 30, 1997, and for other purposes.

Whereas under the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong of 
        1984, the People's Republic of China will assume sovereignty over Hong 
        Kong on July 1, 1997.
Whereas both the People's Republic of China and Great Britain committed 
        themselves to the Joint Declaration's explicit provisions for Hong 
        Kong's future;
Whereas the Joint Declaration is a binding international agreement registered at 
        the United Nations that guarantees Hong Kong a ``high degree of 
        autonomy'' except in defense and foreign affairs, an elected 
        legislature, an executive accountable to the elected legislature, and an 
        independent judiciary with final power of adjudication over Hong Kong 
        law;
Whereas the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 expresses the support of 
        the United States Congress for full implementation of the Joint 
        Declaration and declared that--
            (1) the United States has a ``strong interest in the continued 
        vitality, prosperity, and stability of Hong Kong'';
            (2) ``the human rights of the people of Hong Kong are of great 
        importance to the United States and are directly relevant to United 
        States interests in Hong Kong'';
            (3) ``a fully successful transition in the exercise of sovereignty 
        over Hong Kong must safeguard human rights in and of themselves''; and
            (4) ``human rights also serve as a basis for Hong Kong's continued 
        economic prosperity'';
Whereas on September 17, 1995, the Legislative Council was elected for a 4-year 
        term expiring in 1999;
Whereas the election of Hong Kong's legislature is the cornerstone of the 
        principle that the people of Hong Kong shall enjoy ``one country, two 
        systems'' after the Government of the People's Republic of China assumes 
        sovereignty over Hong Kong; and
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China and its appointed 
        Preparatory Committee have announced their intention to abolish the 
        elected Legislative Council and appoint a provisional legislature: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That (a) the Senate finds that--
            (1) respect for Hong Kong's autonomy and preservation of 
        its institutions will contribute to the stability and economic 
        prosperity of the region; and
            (2) the United States has an interest in compliance with 
        treaty obligations.
    (b) It is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom 
        should uphold their international obligations specified in the 
        Joint Declaration, including the commitment to an elected 
        legislature in Hong Kong after June 30, 1997;
            (2) the establishment of an appointed legislature would be 
        a violation of the Joint Declaration, and the People's Republic 
        of China should allow the Legislative Council elected in 
        September 1995 to serve its full elected term; and
            (3) the President and the Secretary of State should 
        communicate to the People's Republic of China and to the Hong 
        Kong government and Legislative Council the full support of the 
        United States Government and the people of the United States 
        for Hong Kong's autonomy and the interest of the United States 
        in full compliance by both the People's Republic of China and 
        Great Britain with the Joint Declaration as a matter of 
        international law.
    Sec. 2. As used in this resolution, the term ``Joint Declaration'' 
means the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of 
Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's 
Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, done at Beijing on 
December 19, 1984.
    Sec. 3. The Secretary of State shall transmit a copy of this 
resolution to the President and the Secretary of State.
                                 <all>
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