Cruz Provision Assessing China’s Exploitation of Hong Kong’s Autonomy Advances out of Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement following the committee's passage of legislation supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The approved measure includes a provision of Sen. Cruz's bipartisan bill that amends the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 to require the administration to evaluate and report on how the People's Republic of China (PRC) exploits Hong Kong to circumvent the laws of the United States.

"The Communist Party of China exploits Hong Kong's special treatment under U.S. law, and continues to erode Hong Kong's autonomy," Sen. Cruz said. "I am grateful that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed the amended Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a bipartisan bill to counter that encroachment. Importantly, the amended bill incorporates elements from my Hong Kong Policy Reevaluation Act to create a certification that would strengthen monitoring of Chinese encroachment related to extradition, sanctions enforcement, and export controls, and broader issues related to Hong Kong's autonomy. The people of Hong Kong are engaged in an existential battle over what the future of Hong Kong will look like. Over these last several months, we have observed acts of incredible bravery from the people of Hong Kong and mindless brutality from forces cracking down on behalf of the Communist Party. The people of Hong Kong should know America stands with them, and that's exactly what this bill ensures."

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