[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7029-S7030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 271--ORIGINAL RESOLUTION REPORTED EXPRESSING THE 
 SENSE OF THE SENATE WITH RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA BY 
                   THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

  Mr. HELMS, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, reported the 
following original resolution:

                              S. Res. 271

       Whereas under the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the 
     Question of Hong Kong of 1984, the People's Republic of China 
     will assume sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997.
       Whereas both the People's Republic of China and Great 
     Britain committed themselves to the Joint Declaration's 
     explicit provisions for Hong Kong's future;
       Whereas the Joint Declaration is a binding international 
     agreement registered at the United Nations that guarantees 
     Hong Kong a ``high degree of autonomy'' except in defense and 
     foreign affairs, an elected legislature, an executive 
     accountable to the elected legislature, and an independent 
     judiciary with final power of adjudication over Hong Kong 
     law;
       Whereas the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 
     expresses the support of the United States Congress for full 
     implementation of the Joint Declaration and declared that--
       (1) the United States has a ``strong interest in the 
     continued vitality, prosperity, and stability of Hong Kong'';
       (2) ``the human rights of the people of Hong Kong are of 
     great importance to the United States and are directly 
     relevant to United States interests in Hong Kong'';
       (3) ``a fully successful transition in the exercise of 
     sovereignty over Hong Kong must safeguard human rights in and 
     of themselves''; and
       (4) ``human rights also serve as a basis for Hong Kong's 
     continued economic prosperity'';
       Whereas on September 17, 1995, the Legislative Council was 
     elected for a 4-year term expiring in 1999;
       Whereas the election of Hong Kong's legislature is the 
     cornerstone of the principle that the people of Hong Kong 
     shall enjoy ``one country, two systems'' after the Government 
     of the People's Republic of China assumes sovereignty over 
     Hong Kong; and
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     and its appointed Preparatory Committee have announced their 
     intention to abolish the elected Legislative Council and 
     appoint a provisional legislature: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That (a) the Senate finds that--
       (1) respect for Hong Kong's autonomy and preservation of 
     its institutions will contribute to the stability and 
     economic prosperity of the region; and
       (2) the United States has an interest in compliance with 
     treaty obligations.
       (b) It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom 
     should uphold their international obligations specified in 
     the Joint Declaration, including the commitment to an elected 
     legislature in Hong Kong after June 30, 1997;
       (2) the establishment of an appointed legislature would be 
     a violation of the Joint Declaration, and the People's 
     Republic of China should allow the Legislative Council 
     elected in September 1995 to serve its full elected term; and
       (3) the President and the Secretary of State should 
     communicate to the People's Republic of China and to the Hong 
     Kong government and Legislative Council the full support of 
     the United States for Hong Kong's autonomy and the interest 
     of the United States in full compliance by both the People's 
     Republic of China and Great Britain with the Joint 
     Declaration as a matter of international law.
       Sec. 2. As used in this resolution, the term ``Joint 
     Declaration'' means the Joint Declaration of 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.
       Sec. 3. The Secretary of State shall transmit a copy of 
     this resolution to the President and the Secretary of the 
     Senate.

[[Page S7030]]



       SENATE RESOLUTION 272--TO AMENDMENT SENATE RESOLUTION 246

  Mr. D'AMATO submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 272

       Resolved, That Senate Resolution 246, 104th Congress, 
     agreed to April 17, 1996, is amended in section 1(1)(A), by 
     inserting before the semicolon ``incurred during the period 
     beginning on May 17, 1995, and ending on February 29, 1996, 
     or during the period beginning on April 17, 1996, and ending 
     on June 17, 1996''.

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