IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 543 
Recognizing Hong Kong’s bilateral relationship with the United States, con-
demning the interference of the People’s Republic of China in Hong 
Kong’s affairs, and supporting the people of Hong Kong’s right to 
protest. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 30, 2019 
Mr. SHERMAN (for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. CONNOLLY, and Mr. YOHO) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing Hong Kong’s bilateral relationship with the 
United States, condemning the interference of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China in Hong Kong’s affairs, and 
supporting the people of Hong Kong’s right to protest. 
Whereas the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 
(Public Law 102–383) states that— 
(1) ‘‘[s]upport for democratization is a fundamental 
principle of United States foreign policy’’; 
(2) ‘‘the human rights of the people of Hong Kong 
are of great importance to the United States and are di-
rectly relevant to United States interests in Hong Kong 
[and] serve as a basis for Hong Kong’s continued eco-
nomic prosperity’’; and 
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•HRES 543 IH 
(3) Hong Kong must remain sufficiently autono-
mous from the People’s Republic of China to justify a 
different treatment than accorded to the People’s Repub-
lic of China under United States law; 
Whereas the United States maintains substantial economic 
and political interests in Hong Kong, with more than 
1,300 United States firms operating in the Special Ad-
ministrative Region, owing largely to Hong Kong’s favor-
able business environment; 
Whereas the United States supports Hong Kong’s ‘‘high de-
gree of autonomy’’ promised by the Sino-British Joint 
Declaration of 1984 in accordance with the ‘‘one country, 
two systems’’ framework by concluding and implementing 
bilateral agreements, promoting trade and investment, 
and bolstering educational, academic, and cultural links; 
Whereas the Department of State reported in its 2019 Hong 
Kong Policy Act Report, dated March 21, 2019, that the 
People’s Republic of China has implemented a number of 
fixed ‘‘redlines’’ inconsistent with China’s commitments 
in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administra-
tive Region, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 
1984, which have diminished Hong Kong’s high degree of 
autonomy; 
Whereas the Communist Party of China has increasingly con-
strained Hong Kong’s freedoms in violation of the ‘‘one 
country, two systems’’ framework by supporting, among 
other actions, the banishment of the pro-independence 
Hong Kong National Party, the restriction of entry for 
individuals critical of the Communist Party of China, the 
refusal of a United States extradition request in May 
2018, and the indiscriminate disqualification of can-
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•HRES 543 IH 
didates for office due to their alleged support for Hong 
Kong self-determination; 
Whereas, on April 3, 2019, the Government of Hong Kong 
introduced a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders and 
Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance 
laws (commonly known as the extradition bill) concerning 
extradition to expand the extradition arrangement to in-
clude mainland China, which would allow for the 
handover of any persons in the territory of Hong Kong, 
residents and nonresidents, as well as materials in their 
possession; 
Whereas the Department of State issued a statement on June 
9, 2019, warning that the lack of procedural protections 
in the bill could negatively impact Hong Kong’s long-
standing protections of human rights, fundamental free-
doms, and democratic values; 
Whereas, on June 9, 2019, approximately 1,000,000 people 
peacefully rallied against the bill, and on June 12, 2019, 
in Admiralty, tens of thousands staged a protest outside 
the city’s government headquarters to stop the legislators 
from moving forward with the bill; 
Whereas, on June 12, the Government of Hong Kong took 
advantage of the acts of a small minority of protesters 
and classified the largely peaceful protest as an unlawful 
assembly and a ‘‘riot’’, a charge that can result in a pris-
on sentence of up to 10 years for those who were ar-
rested; 
Whereas the police’s excessive use of force on June 12, 2019, 
to disperse the protestors, including tear gas, beanbag 
rounds, rubber bullets, batons, and pepper spray, widely 
visible in video footage, fueled tensions, contributed to 
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