Title: A 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution designates the Hong Kong national security law proposed by China as a violation of China's international obligations. The resolution calls on the United States to use all diplomatic means available to dissuade China from passing the law and rally free nations to stand with the people of Hong Kong.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 596 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the Hong Kong national security law proposed by the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China would violate the 
        legal obligations of that government under--
                    (A) the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which 
                guarantees for 50 years the protection 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 reserves the 
                authority for enacting laws prohibiting 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 People's 
                Republic of China from passing the proposed 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 severe violations by 
                the Government of the People's Republic of China of the 
                rights and liberties guaranteed to them under the 1984 
                Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic 
                Law.
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