Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Thursday blasted government forces in China for failing to honor promises made to the people of Hong Kong nearly 20 years ago. They sided with the massive pro-democracy movement that has taken hold of the country’s small, supposedly autonomous region.
“We stand in total solidarity with the [protesters],” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said in response to a question from the Washington Examiner during a conference call.
The Republican congressman currently serves as the co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
“When [sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to China] in July 1997, the declaration established a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong, except in matters of foreign affairs and defense,” he said.
The law that was agreed to in 1997, which is supposed to guarantee a high degree of autonomy and protect free speech, press, assembly and religious freedom, must be respected by Beijing, Smith said.
But Beijing has in recent years moved away from the promises of the 1997 agreement, which is why thousands of students and young protesters have finally taken to take to the streets, demanding that their freedoms be recognized and protected.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, echoed Smith’s sentiments.
“I think we can speak with consensus, we can also speak in many ways for both parties and both houses and for our government, that we admire the courage and the discipline and the non-violent protest that these mostly young people have shown,” the Ohio Democrat told the Examiner. “It’s pretty amazing in the face of, of what they’ve been faced with. What they’re doing.”
Brown addressed the protesters’ concerns: “Clearly, what had been promised a decade-plus ago and what had been promised more recently doesn’t seem to be coming to pass. We just want to tell the students that we’re there with them in that way and we will do what we can legislatively here.”
Hong Kong’s government on Thursday called off talks with the pro-democracy movement, citing its leaders’ refusal to accept a deal that doesn’t guarantee free and open elections.
“Unfortunately, the protesters rejected the rational proposal and went back to their old position,” Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said at a press conference. “This is sacrificing public good for their political demands.”
The protests, which have now lasted more than 13 days, cover vast portions of the city, with demonstrators occupying several symbolic and culturally significant spots throughout the city.
Smith emphasized how important it is for those in Hong Kong to keep applying pressure to ensure that their rights are defended.
“[T]he ominous trend of reneging now on universal suffrage, I think, is the harbinger of a deterioration. We’ve seen it, around the edges, particularly in press freedoms and some speech freedoms, that this is the beginning of a noose on the part of Beijing to make Hong Kong look just like Beijing over time,” Smith said.
“And that is an absolute violation of the letter and spirit of what Beijing signed on July 1, 1997, in the joint declaration,” he added. “So its not just universal suffrage. That’s the tip of the iceberg. We could very quickly see massive erosions of free speech, press, assembly and freedom of religion and all the other fundamental human rights that Hong Kongers enjoy.”
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China on Thursday released its annual report detailing human rights and rule of law issues that it says are in desperate need of fixes.
“While the U.S.-China relationship has changed dramatically during the past decade, human rights and the rule of law issues remain a contentious part of bilateral relations,” the committee said in a statement.
“At the same time, it is increasingly clear that improvements in these areas are needed in order to protect U.S. national interests, increase U.S.-China cooperation, and advance China’s stability and development,” the statement added.
