[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 27 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E313-E314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FREEDOM IN HONG KONG

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHRISTOPHER COX

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 2004

  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, the House Policy Committee met today with a 
distinguished delegation of Hong Kong legislators and advocates of 
democracy. I would like to briefly report on this meeting.
  Last year, the Policy Committee met twice with representatives from 
Hong Kong:
  First, on January 28, 2003, we met with Hong Kong representatives, 
including journalists, who briefed us on the PRC's efforts to restrict 
media and intellectual freedoms. Second, on June 5, 2003, we met with a 
delegation of legislators and human rights advocates. Today's was our 
third meeting on Hong Kong in the 108th Congress.
  The Policy Committee has held approximately 30 meetings in the 108th 
Congress. The policy-setting organization for the House Majority has 
devoted fully 10 percent of our meeting time to the cause of freedom 
for seven million people on the other side of the earth for several 
reasons:
  First, we are the policy-setting organization for the Republican 
majority. Our party was founded 150 years ago--more accurately, 149 
years, 11 months, and two weeks ago--on the simple idea of individual 
freedom. Republican presidents helped secure freedom for millions of 
Americans in the Civil War and for millions more around the world in 
the Cold War. Today, President Bush has naturally made freedom around 
the world the primary means of securing victory in the war on 
terrorism. The basis of our party is freedom, and Hong Kong, today, is 
on freedom's frontier.
  Second, the seven million people of Hong Kong represent the best hope 
for more than a billion others in Asia. It is vitally important to the 
world that China becomes more like Hong Kong, and not the other way 
around. Accomplishing that goal would be in the interests of the people 
of Hong Kong and all of China, and it would be in the interests of the 
United States and the rest of the world, as a free, democratic, and 
prosperous China would be a more stable and friendly neighbor and 
member of the international community.

  One month after our previous meeting, the Hong Kong legislature was 
scheduled to vote on a PRC-backed law to severely limit free speech and 
civil liberties in Hong Kong, in the name of punishing ``subversion.'' 
We and the House International Relations Committee proposed, and the 
House approved, a resolution in support of freedom in Hong Kong, and 
against the proposed anti-subversion law. Unprecedented demonstrations 
by over one-half million people in Hong Kong followed a few days later. 
The PRC withdrew the so-called anti-subversion legislation it was 
backing.
  While the withdrawal of the so-called anti-subversion bill was good 
news, the more recent PRC freeze on the consultative process to provide 
for the popular election of Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007, and of 
its legislature in 2008, is of grave concern. It is vital to commence 
this process immediately. China will host the Olympics in 2008. Will 
the world discover that China has broken its promise? Only if the free 
world holds China to its commitment, and elections are held in 2007 and 
2008, will this global shame be avoided.
  Likewise, all the people of Hong Kong--including those who speak out 
for democracy--must be allowed the freedom to return to travel within 
China. The refusal of Beijing to grant permission for Chinese patriots 
in Hong Kong, including many who were born on the mainland, to travel 
to Beijing is an affront to freedom and to the Olympic spirit.

[[Page E314]]

  Mr. Speaker, much work remains to be done for freedom and democracy 
in Hong Kong and in China. The United States Congress must continue 
this work.

                          ____________________