IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 974 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Hong Kong 
national security law proposed by the Government of the People’s Repub-
lic 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 countries of the world to stand with the 
people of Hong Kong. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2020 
Mr. GALLAGHER (for himself, Ms. CHENEY, Mr. YOHO, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. 
HURD of Texas, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. BANKS, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, Mr. 
RESCHENTHALER, Mr. ROY, Mr. HILL of Arkansas, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. 
MULLIN, Mr. PERRY, Mr. POSEY, Mr. WRIGHT, and Mr. WEBER of 
Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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 countries 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 
that would ban secession, subversion of state power, and 
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•HRES 974 IH 
foreign interference, as defined by the Government of the 
People’s Republic of China; 
Whereas if it is passed, the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China should be expected to use this law to jus-
tify and facilitate an expanded crackdown against peace-
ful 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 Re-
public of China and its proxies in Hong Kong to erase 
the basic liberties and human rights promised to the peo-
ple of Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint 
Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law; 
Whereas the announcement by the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China of its intent to pass this new na-
tional security law reflects that Government’s funda-
mental opposition not only to the basic rights and lib-
erties of free persons championed by the people of Hong 
Kong and the United States, but also to upholding its ob-
ligations under international law; and 
Whereas the efforts by the Government of the People’s Re-
public 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 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the Hong Kong national security law pro-
posed by the Government of the People’s Republic of 
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•HRES 974 IH 
China would violate the legal obligations of that 
Government under— 
(A) the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declara-
tion, which guarantees for 50 years the protec-
tion of the basic rights and freedoms of the 
people of Hong Kong, including those of speech, 
press, assembly, association, travel, movement, 
correspondence, and strike; and 
(B) the Hong Kong Basic Law, which re-
serves the authority for enacting laws prohib-
iting treason, secession, sedition, subversion, 
and foreign interference to the Government of 
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; 
and 
(2) the United States Government should use 
all diplomatic means available, including targeted 
sanctions, to— 
(A) dissuade the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China from passing the pro-
posed Hong Kong national security law; 
(B) compel the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China to rescind the proposed Hong 
Kong national security law, if it is passed; and 
(C) rally all free nations to stand with the 
people of Hong Kong against increasingly se-
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vere violations by the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China of the rights and lib-
erties guaranteed to them under the 1984 Sino- 
British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong 
Basic Law. 
Æ 
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