•HRES 277 IH 
SAR and the People’s Republic of China have stymied 
this process; 
Whereas the traditional liberties of Hong Kong’s 7,000,000 
people are now immediately threatened by Hong Kong’s 
proposed ‘‘Article 23’’ laws, which were drafted under 
strong pressure from the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China, dealing with sedition, treason, and sub-
version against the Chinese Communist Party, and the 
theft of state secrets; 
Whereas the proposed legislation would give the Hong Kong 
Government discretion to imprison individuals for ‘‘at-
tempting to commit’’ the undefined crime of ‘‘subver-
sion’’; would criminalize not only membership in, but 
even attendance at meetings of, organizations not ap-
proved by Beijing; and would threaten freedom of reli-
gion, membership in authentic trade unions, political ac-
tivity of all kinds, and a wide range of public and private 
expression; 
Whereas the proposed legislation would give Hong Kong’s 
Secretary for Security, an appointee of the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China, broad authority to ban 
organizations it deemed in opposition to the national in-
terest, thereby threatening religious organizations such as 
the Falun Gong and the Roman Catholic Church; 
Whereas under the proposed legislation such basic and funda-
mental procedural rights as notice and opportunity to be 
heard could be waived by the appointee of the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong if 
honoring these rights ‘‘would not be practicable’’; 
Whereas the People’s Republic of China’s history of arbitrary 
application of its own criminal law against dissenters,
•HRES 277 IH 
and its pattern of imprisoning and exiling those with 
whom it disagrees, provide strong reasons to oppose the 
expansion of Beijing’s ability to use its discretion against 
Hong Kong’s freedoms; 
Whereas similar subversion laws in the People’s Republic of 
China are regularly used to convict and imprison journal-
ists, labor activists, Internet entrepreneurs, and aca-
demics; 
Whereas broad segments of the Hong Kong community have 
expressed strong concerns about, and opposition to, the 
proposed new laws; 
Whereas those members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council 
elected by universal suffrage oppose the proposed new 
laws, but are powerless to stop them against the majority 
of votes controlled directly and indirectly by the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China; 
Whereas the scheduled consideration of these proposals to re-
strict Hong Kong’s freedoms in the Legislative Council 
on July 9, 2003, makes the threat to its people clear and 
imminent; and 
Whereas it is the duty of freedom loving people everywhere 
to stand with the people of Hong Kong against this dan-
gerous erosion of its long-held and cherished rights: Now, 
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) condemns any restriction of the freedom of 
thought, expression, or association in Hong Kong, 
consistent with the United States-Hong Kong Policy 
Act of 1992;
•HRES 277 IH 
(2) recognizes that because Hong Kong exer-
cises considerable influence in international affairs, 
as a developed economy, financial center, trading 
entrepot and shipping center, reductions in the exist-
ing freedom of the Hong Kong people would be of 
global significance; 
(3) urges the Hong Kong Government and the 
People’s Republic of China to withdraw the proposed 
implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law inso-
far as it would reduce the basic human freedoms of 
the people of Hong Kong; 
(4) calls upon the People’s Republic of China, 
the National People’s Congress, and any other 
groups appointed by the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China to leave all revisions of Hong 
Kong law to a legislature elected by universal suf-
frage; 
(5) urges immediate elections for the Legisla-
tive Council of Hong Kong according to rules ap-
proved by the Hong Kong people through an elec-
tion-law convention, referendum, or both; 
(6) calls upon the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China to fully respect the autonomy and 
independence of the chief executive, the civil service,
•HRES 277 IH 
the judiciary, the police of Hong Kong, and the 
Independent Commission Against Corruption; and 
(7) calls upon the United States Government, 
other governments, the people of the United States, 
and the people of the world to support freedom in 
Hong Kong by—
(A) making clear statements against any 
limitations on existing human freedoms in 
Hong Kong; and 
(B) transmitting those statements to the 
people and the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China.
Æ