Now lets see if Donald Swamp, so keen to be noticed like a petulant child, refuses to sign this bill. Putting his fragile ego above democracy and freedom as he does over climate change or peace or the lives of the Kurds etc.
2
Does it make sense to punish the officials in Hong Kong or China who carry out Xi’s orders while the head honcho is met with impunity? It’s always the (relatively) little people or underlings who suffer the consequences, be it Wall Street bank or the Trump administration. See how Donald Trump puts Putin, Xi, and Kim on a pedestal. ‘Too big to fail’ applies to heads of state as well. There must be a better way to deal with this issue so the crime boss does not get away.
3
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, that passed Congress today, won’t hurt anyone in Beijing. The act will first hurt low-wage workers in HK, who will be terminated as the SAR falls deeper into recession. (HK’s economy contracted 3.2% in the 3rd quarter.) Also, companies will be reluctant to invest big money into expanding in HK because the US law could nullify any advantage of investing in the SAR, if the US Secretary of State determines in his annual report that HK is in violation of the law. Most likely, companies will hedge their bets and pour money into Shanghai, Shenzhen or Singapore, instead of HK, as their gateway to China. It will take a couple years for these cities to match HK’s advantages. But Shanghai or Shenzhen could liberalize rules in their Special Economic Zones quickly and make people forget about HK in a few years.
1
Good news for us. Although i am chinese, I really hope the bill can be signed by President Trump as soon as possible.
Cannot wait it take effect.
Chinese gov has lost to all feeling of humanity
5
Wow! Finally some good news!
Even more surprising, something Democrats and Republicans actually agree on.
It's nice to feel the world is right side up for a change ...
6
The wall is ever so slowly starting to crack. Can anyone imagine the Republican Senate passing a resolution Trump will veto and be overridden before the impeachment hearings?
Mitch McConnell is slowly starting to view Trump as a liability threatening the re-election of the republican senate majority.
This bill is not an insignificant event.
1
Hong Kong law is communist law as you get 10 year sentence for protesting if you're caught doing so, by the Hong Kong police. You can't have two systems such as communism and democracy, in Hong Kong, as it is an oxymoron and misleading. If the Chinese government felt secure that communist rule is strong, then what have they got to lose by letting the citizens of Hong Kong vote for either Democratic rule or Communist rule, in a general election.
4
@CK That’s 10 years for Rioting, not for just protesting. Only some of the protests/riots have been labeled ‘Riots’, like at PolyU last Sunday,, where criminal threw petro bombs and shot arrows at police. During 6 months of riots, most defendants have been charged with ‘Unlawful Assembly’, which carries a max sentence of 2-5 years. Many individuals charged with Unlawful Assembly only had to post bonds of HK$1,000 (US$129). And today in court, most charged with “Rioting’ only had to post bonds of HK$5,000 (US$635).
3
What are the sanctions that the US would impose upon individual China and Hong Kong leaders? Does the bill enumerate what the specific penalties are?
Are there prior examples of this? When and where else have we threatened penalties upon foreign leaders, as individuals, for their actions in official governmental roles, enacting state policy that we believe to violate basic human rights?
Is there another article on the specifics of the bill, and it's historic context?
4
I guess we have to ask now, what's next? Are you willing to give up your cheap gewgaws if we are forced to cut off trade. As my son said, had we not spent 20 years conducting a useless war on terror we might be in the position to push back. We are not. I feel very badly for these people. But given the rancid example of the NBA, commerce trumps human rights. Trump will guarantee that.
5
Is this correct? Betsy Devos brother Erik Prince has contracted to build facilities the house the Uyghur . If so why does our government start there . To stop America Business men using other countries to make money while ignoring the possibility of helping violate human rights in that country .
Google this to learn more .
Next, the House and Senate should pass a joint resolution condemning Israeli settlements.
18
@NorthernVirginia Moral equivalency where none exists.
This long overdue action should send a strong message to Chinese and HongKongese leaders who suppress human rights. Will it change any minds and hearts? Maybe not, but it does give encouragement to the protesters.
Senators Cruz and Hawley are on the correct side of this issue.
20