The Wall Street Journal
Hong Kong democracy leader Joshua Wong was in Washington on Wednesday, where he met with Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi and Senators Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio, the latter of whom used the occasion to introduce the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
The more China violates its promise to respect Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy, the more this bill will gain support in Congress.
The Cotton-Rubio bill would reaffirm the principles of the 1992 United States-Hong Kong Policy Act, including support for democratization and human rights.
The Cotton-Rubio bill would reaffirm the principles of the 1992 United States-Hong Kong Policy Act, including support for democratization and human rights.
It would also reinstate the requirement that the State Department issue a yearly report on Hong Kong, and that the Secretary of State certify that Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from Beijing before pursing new agreements extending preferential treatment to the territory.
Likeliest to earn attention in Hong Kong and Beijing is the provision imposing sanctions on officials who have suppressed basic freedoms in Hong Kong, including those “responsible for the surveillance, abduction, detention, or forced confessions of certain booksellers and journalists.”
Likeliest to earn attention in Hong Kong and Beijing is the provision imposing sanctions on officials who have suppressed basic freedoms in Hong Kong, including those “responsible for the surveillance, abduction, detention, or forced confessions of certain booksellers and journalists.”
These officials would lose access to U.S. visas and see U.S.-based assets frozen.
Donald Trump hasn’t shown much appreciation for the importance of human rights to U.S. foreign policy.
Donald Trump hasn’t shown much appreciation for the importance of human rights to U.S. foreign policy.
He tweeted during Hong Kong’s mass pro-democracy demonstrations of 2014, “President Obama should stay out of the Hong Kong protests, we have enough problems in our own country!”
Mr. Wong, who helped lead those protests at age 18, appealed Wednesday to the President-elect: “Being a businessman I hope Donald Trump could know the dynamics in Hong Kong and know that to maintain the business sector benefits in Hong Kong, it’s necessary to fully support human rights in Hong Kong to maintain the independence and the rule of law.”
No one—perhaps even Mr. Trump—knows how his foreign policy will evolve, but Congress is likely to assert itself more than it has, especially on human rights.
Mr. Wong, who helped lead those protests at age 18, appealed Wednesday to the President-elect: “Being a businessman I hope Donald Trump could know the dynamics in Hong Kong and know that to maintain the business sector benefits in Hong Kong, it’s necessary to fully support human rights in Hong Kong to maintain the independence and the rule of law.”
No one—perhaps even Mr. Trump—knows how his foreign policy will evolve, but Congress is likely to assert itself more than it has, especially on human rights.
Mr. Wong’s warm welcome on Capitol Hill is a signal to Beijing that reneging on its promises to Hong Kong won’t be cost-free.
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