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The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) condemned the US House of Representatives on Wednesday for using its Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act to “slander laws on safeguarding national security” and “smear the human rights situation” in Hong Kong.
The bill, which passed the House 413-3, seeks to remove certain diplomatic privileges currently extended to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the US if the HKSAR “no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China” (PRC). The act in its current form will require the US president to periodically determine whether HKETOs in the US should be allowed to continue operating. The Hong Kong government criticized the bill as a “fact-twisting” and politically driven attack on the city that violates international law and interferes in Hong Kong’s affairs. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) claims that China will take “strong and resolute countermeasures” if the bill is not stopped.
The Certification Act was first introduced in February 2023, years after the initial implementation of the controversial Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong that intensified concerns about human rights in Hong Kong and the Special Administrative Region (SAR)’s continued autonomy under China. While the text of the Certification Act does not directly mention the 2020 national security law or Article 23 in its text, the HKSAR government argued that the Certification Act slandered the “just and legitimate objective” of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). The government further viewed the Act as “self-deception” which set “double standards”, as it saw the US as having the “most stringent national security legislation.”
The Certification Act was introduced in the House by Representative Cristopher H. Smith, the Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). In a press release, Representative Smith, along with CECC co-chair Senator Jeff Merkley, claimed that while the HKETOs were intended to act as “official representative offices” of an autonomous HKSAR under the “one country, two systems” framework, the arrangement has been “obliterated” by the PRC and the offices now appear to be “mere appendages” of the Chinese government. The chairs said:
Hong Kong maintains 14 HKETOs around the world, three of which are in the US. In May, a manager of the HKETO in London was arrested by British authorities alongside two other men for assisting Hong Kong’s foreign intelligence service. The Chinese Embassy in London denied the allegations and accused the UK of fabricating the case.
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The bill, which passed the House 413-3, seeks to remove certain diplomatic privileges currently extended to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the US if the HKSAR “no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China” (PRC). The act in its current form will require the US president to periodically determine whether HKETOs in the US should be allowed to continue operating. The Hong Kong government criticized the bill as a “fact-twisting” and politically driven attack on the city that violates international law and interferes in Hong Kong’s affairs. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) claims that China will take “strong and resolute countermeasures” if the bill is not stopped.
The Certification Act was first introduced in February 2023, years after the initial implementation of the controversial Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong that intensified concerns about human rights in Hong Kong and the Special Administrative Region (SAR)’s continued autonomy under China. While the text of the Certification Act does not directly mention the 2020 national security law or Article 23 in its text, the HKSAR government argued that the Certification Act slandered the “just and legitimate objective” of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). The government further viewed the Act as “self-deception” which set “double standards”, as it saw the US as having the “most stringent national security legislation.”
The Certification Act was introduced in the House by Representative Cristopher H. Smith, the Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). In a press release, Representative Smith, along with CECC co-chair Senator Jeff Merkley, claimed that while the HKETOs were intended to act as “official representative offices” of an autonomous HKSAR under the “one country, two systems” framework, the arrangement has been “obliterated” by the PRC and the offices now appear to be “mere appendages” of the Chinese government. The chairs said:
For its part, the HKSAR government claims that it properly protects the rule of law and human rights while maintaining international economic and trade relations in accordance with the “one country, two systems” framework. “Law enforcement actions taken by HKSAR law enforcement agencies, including those taken under the NSL, the SNSO and other Hong Kong laws, are based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law, and have nothing to do with the occupation, background or political stance of the persons concerned,” it said. Alongside China’s MFA, the Hong Kong government also emphasized the trade and cultural benefits of the HKETOs, noting the significant trade surplus from Hong Kong to the US.
Hong Kong maintains 14 HKETOs around the world, three of which are in the US. In May, a manager of the HKETO in London was arrested by British authorities alongside two other men for assisting Hong Kong’s foreign intelligence service. The Chinese Embassy in London denied the allegations and accused the UK of fabricating the case.
The post Hong Kong government condemns US House for ‘fact-twisting’ bill that could close representative offices appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.