Title: Expressing the sense of Congress that Hong Kong's loss of judicial and political autonomy would expose individuals residing in the United States to a judicial system subservient to the Chinese Communist Party, and that the United States should suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong until it can be certified that Hong Kong's judicial independence has been reestablished.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution states that Hong Kong's loss of judicial and political autonomy renders individuals residing in the United States vulnerable to a Chinese-controlled judicial system. The resolution urges the United States to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong until the reestablishment of Hong Kong's judicial independence can be certified.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 108 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 108

Expressing the sense of Congress that Hong Kong's loss of judicial and 
  political autonomy would expose individuals residing in the United 
States to a judicial system subservient to the Chinese Communist Party, 
 and that the United States should suspend its extradition treaty with 
     Hong Kong until it can be certified that Hong Kong's judicial 
                  independence has been reestablished.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2020

 Mr. Conaway submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Hong Kong's loss of judicial and 
  political autonomy would expose individuals residing in the United 
States to a judicial system subservient to the Chinese Communist Party, 
 and that the United States should suspend its extradition treaty with 
     Hong Kong until it can be certified that Hong Kong's judicial 
                  independence has been reestablished.

Whereas, on December 19, 1984, the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of 
        China (PRC) agreed to the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question 
        of Hong Kong, a legal binding treaty registered with the United Nations, 
        laying the framework guaranteeing the autonomy of Hong Kong;
Whereas upon the transfer of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, the 
        National People's Congress, in accordance with the Joint Declaration, 
        adopted the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 
        committing Beijing to maintaining a ``one country, two systems'' policy 
        regarding Hong Kong and solidifying the autonomy of the region;
Whereas the Basic Law provided the safeguards by which Hong Kong was promised a 
        high degree of autonomy and preserved Hong Kong's right to self-
        governance and its highly regarded common law legal system committed to 
        protecting universal human rights and upholding commercial rules and 
        regulations;
Whereas Congress adopted the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 ensuring 
        continued special treatment of Hong Kong as separate from the People's 
        Republic of China and authorized the President to suspend those 
        protections if it were determined that Hong Kong was not sufficiently 
        autonomous from the PRC;
Whereas Hong Kong's independent legal system and strong commitment to the rule 
        of law were paramount to its success as a global financial and banking 
        center and establishing itself as a strong and reliable trading partner 
        with the United States;
Whereas, in the 23 years of the ``one country, two systems'' policy, the Chinese 
        Communist Party has made repeated attempts to challenge and erode the 
        autonomy and open society of Hong Kong, including suppression of free 
        speech and democratic institutions;
Whereas, since June 2019, the Chinese Communist Party has aggressively escalated 
        efforts to undermine and usurp Hong Kong's autonomy;
Whereas, on May 27, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that ``Hong 
        Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in 
        the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997. 
        No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high 
        degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.'';
Whereas, on May 28, 2020, the National People's Congress approved a new national 
        security law that would unravel the autonomy of Hong Kong and bypass the 
        region's independent legislature;
Whereas, on June 30, 2020, the Chinese Communist Party, in violation of 
        international agreements, finalized and enacted sweeping new powers over 
        Hong Kong, ending its long-held political and economic autonomy and 
        destroying the firewall between the two legal systems;
Whereas, on July 3, 2020, Canada suspended its extradition agreement with Hong 
        Kong;
Whereas, on July 9, 2020, Australia suspended its extradition agreement with 
        Hong Kong; and
Whereas, on July 20, 2020, the United Kingdom suspended its extradition 
        agreement with Hong Kong: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Hong Kong's loss of judicial and political autonomy 
        would expose individuals residing in the United States to a 
        judicial system subservient to the Chinese Communist Party; and
            (2) the United States should suspend its extradition treaty 
        with Hong Kong until it can be certified that Hong Kong's 
        judicial independence has been reestablished.
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