[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 667 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 667

              Expressing support for freedom in Hong Kong.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2004

    Mr. Cox (for himself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota, Mr. 
Sessions, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Markey, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and Mr. 
  Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida) submitted the following resolution; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
              Expressing support for freedom in Hong Kong.

Whereas according to the April 1, 2004, report by the Department of State 
        entitled U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act Report, ``The United States has 
        strong interests in the protection of human rights and the promotion of 
        democratic institutions throughout the world. The Hong Kong people share 
        many values and interests with Americans and have worked to make Hong 
        Kong a model of what can be achieved in a society based on the rule of 
        law and respect for civil liberties'';
Whereas according to section 103(3) of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 
        1992 (22 U.S.C. 5713(3)), ``The United States should continue to treat 
        Hong Kong as a territory which is fully autonomous from the United 
        Kingdom and, after June 30, 1997, should treat Hong Kong as a territory 
        which is fully autonomous from the People's Republic of China with 
        respect to economic and trade matters.'';
Whereas the People's Republic of China has frustrated the gradual and orderly 
        process toward universal suffrage and the democratic election of the 
        legislature and chief executive in Hong Kong as envisioned by the Basic 
        Law of the Hong Kong SAR; and
Whereas on April 6, 2004, the Standing Committee of the National People's 
        Congress of the People's Republic of China declared itself, as opposed 
        to the people of Hong Kong, the final arbiter of democratic reform and, 
        on April 26, 2004, declared that universal suffrage would not apply to 
        the election of the third Chief Executive in 2007 or to the election of 
        all members of the fourth Legislative Council in 2008: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) declares that the people of Hong Kong should be free to 
        determine the pace and scope of constitutional developments; 
        and
            (2) calls upon the President of the United States to--
                    (A) call upon the People's Republic of China, the 
                National People's Congress, and any groups appointed by 
                the Government of the People's Republic of China to 
                guarantee that all revisions of Hong Kong law reflect 
                the wishes of the people of Hong Kong as expressed 
                through a fully democratically elected legislature and 
                chief executive;
                    (B) declare that the continued lack of a fully 
                democratically elected legislature in Hong Kong is 
                contrary to the vision of democracy set forth in the 
                Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom 
                of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 
                Government of the People's Republic of China on the 
                Question of Hong Kong, done at Beijing on December 19, 
                1984 (the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984); and
                    (C) call upon the Government of the People's 
                Republic of China to honor its treaty obligations under 
                the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984.
                                 <all>