[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               HONG KONG

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, last week I spoke about the people's 
uprising in Hong Kong. Over the past several days, millions of 
residents have taken to the streets to defend their autonomy and the 
rule of law from continued encroachment of the communist government of 
mainland China.
  After days of tension, this past weekend brought some good news. In a 
sign that the people's demonstrations had sent a clear message, Hong 
Kong officials now said that the government will suspend consideration 
of the proposed ``extradition'' bill indefinitely.
  The fate of Hong Kong and its special status is a subject I have 
watched carefully for decades. Early on in my Senate tenure, I 
introduced the legislation that still governs our relationship with 
Hong Kong, the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which President Bush 
41 signed into law. On the day I introduced that legislation, I said it 
was heartening to see that ``democracy is finally gaining a tenuous 
foot hold in Hong Kong.''
  Well, the nearly 30 years since then have shown us all just what the 
people of Hong Kong can do when the terms of their independence and 
freedom are respected. We have seen Hong Kong thrive, in large measure 
due to the political and economic freedoms and stable rule of law that 
Hong Kong's special status has enabled, but we have also seen clearly 
in recent days that freedom's foothold in the shadow of mainland China 
is not a given. It remains tenuous even now.
  I wanted to again express my admiration for the people of Hong Kong 
and their strong but peaceful response to this proposed encroachment. I 
am glad to see their leaders respect their willingness to stand their 
ground, and I hope the city's authorities will continue to respect the 
clear will of the people on these issues moving forward.

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