WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined his colleagues, led by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), in introducing a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) proposed “sweeping national security law” for Hong Kong that would ban secession, subversion, and foreign interference.
The resolution states unequivocally that passage of this proposed law would put the Beijing in direct violation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law. The resolution also calls upon all free nations to stand firm against the CCP’s campaign to destroy Hongkongers’ basic liberties and human rights.
“The CCP’s campaign of brutal repression and censorship continues—using the COVID-19 crisis as ‘cover’ as it works to overturn Hong Kong’s independence,” said Senator Romney. “These proposed national security laws show that the CCP is intimidated by the protests that took place in Hong Kong last year. I stand with the people of Hong Kong in the continued quest for freedom and autonomy.”
“With the world focused on the pandemic, Beijing thinks this is their opportunity to steamroll Hong Kong. They say they want to ‘improve’ the lives of Hongkongers, but in reality, that means stripping the people of Hong Kong of the basic rights and liberties guaranteed to them under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law,” said Senator Hawley. “This resolution condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s premeditated violation of these agreements and calls on other free nations to join with us. We must stand up to China’s continued imperialism, and if the Beijing government goes through with this, then we need to be ready to respond strongly, including by reconsidering their trade status.”
Also joining as cosponsors are Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Steve Daines (R-MT), and Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) plans to introduce companion legislation in the House.
The full text of the resolution can be found here.