Transcripts For CSPAN3 Congresssional Executive Commission On U.S.-Hong Kong Relations 20240714

Look at the protests taking place in hong kong. The unrest began as a movement against a law allowing hong kongers to be deported to china. Since june millions of protesters have marched through the streets demanding greater democracy. Set to start in just a moment here. Live coverage on cspan 3. The meeting will come to order. Welcome to todays hearing on hong kongs summer of discontent and u. S. Policy responses. This is the second China Commission hearing this year on the situation in hong kong. During our may hearing, the commission heard compelling testimony from Hong Kong Pro Democracy advocates, including martin lee and nathan law who expressed concerns about the extradition bill that was quickly moving towards becoming law at that time. That legislation would have put anyone in hong kong, including u. S. Citizens, at risk of extradition to Mainland China. A lack of due process and custodial abuse have been welldocumented. Over the last 16 weeks, millions of people from all walks of life in hong kong have taken to the streets in an unprecedented and sustained show of unity. The protesters have inspired the world and have risked their lives, their health, their jobs and their education to fight for the future of hong kong. Thank you for your coverage and thank you for your bravery. We stand in solidarity with you. As protests continue throughout the summer, Hong Kong Police used excessive and unnecessary force to target those engaged in peaceful demonstrations. The u. N. High commissioner for human rights as called for an investigation. The uk has suspended export licenses for the sale of tear gas and crowd control equipment. And the house of representatives, congressman chris smith and i have introduced hr 4270 that would prohibit u. S. Exports of Police Equipment to hong kong. U. S. Companies should not be selling equipment used to violently crack down on protesters. I Hope Congress will pass this legislation as soon as possible. Although consideration of the extradition bill has been suspended the people of hong kong are calling for greater accountability. Its my understanding that the hong kong protesters have outlined five demands of hong kong and chinese authorities. I look forward to hearing from todays witnesses, what progress has been made, what remains to be done and how we and congress and the International Community might be helpful. The one country two systems framework was enshrined in the 1984 declaration and hong kongs basic law. This is an International Treaty signed by the Chinese Government to allow hong kong a high degree of aufa automy. It is the continuing erosion of hong kongs autonomy. We have seen the prosecution and sentencing of pro democracy leaders, the disqualification and removal of pro democracy legislators and the introduction of a new National Bill that would restrict free expression. The former hong kong chief secretary and Legislative Council member recently offered this insight. If only beijing would understand what makes hong kong tick. What are the values we hold dear, then they can use that energy to benefit china and hong kong. Instead, they have this mentality of control, end quote. While the proefrts were sparked by concerns about the extradition bill, the heart of the discontent is that hong kongs political leaders do not represent and are not accountable to the people. Instead, hong kong tfs leaders are beholden to the Chinese Government. Millions of people would not have to protest in the streets if they could freely choose their political leaders. I hope the Chinese Government would understand that stability and prosperity can be achieved if hong kongs autonomy is respected and Council Members were elected without chinese influence. In light of the erosion of the hong kongs autonomy and the recent violence i believe its time for the u. S. To reconsidering its relations with hong kong. Theres a separate customs territory for the rest of china so long as hong kong remains sufficiently autonomous. Im proud to support hr 3289 sponsored by senator rubio and congressman smith. The legislation will require the secretary of state to certify that hong kong is autonomous in order to justify economic and trade treatment different from Mainland China under u. S. Law. Its time we put the Chinese Government on an annual notice that further erosion of automaautonomy will cause the city and Mainland China to lose its special trade arrangement with the United States. Hong kong has prospered to become the financial heart of asia because of an open economic system. The erosion of this unique system threatens not only the people who attempt to speak out, but the Economic Vitality of the city itself. To be clear, we stand together with the people of hong kong and, indeed, all the people of china where we express our concerns about the Human Rights Violations of the hong kong and Chinese Governments. Our focus today is doing right by the people of hong kong as they seek a democratic future that projects hong kongs autonomy of rule of law. Id like to yield to senator rubi rubio. Thank you for convening this hearing and your willingness to host it here on the senate side. Its quiet. Yeah. A little different pace. We have four votes yesterday. Today people will be exhausted. Anyway, i want to thank you for doing this. I look forward to our continued partnership on this commission. Particularly as it relates to the topic. I want to thank all of our witnesses, especially those who are on the front lines and have even be jailed multiple times and well hear from them today about the things that have been done against them and your commitment to freedom and democracy is inspiring. It really is inspiring for those of us at this republic. It reminds us why so many serve here and what we seek to preserve around the world. Thats why we want to stand with you. Your fight and the fight of our fellow hong kongers is the fight of every human who yearns for liberty and dignity and demands their fundamental rights be respected and upheld. Let me say that the people of hong kong, we stand with you, by we, this is a bicameral, bipartisan commitment as youll see today across both Political Parties and every major figure. Not only that, but Many Americans stand with you in your fight to keep your long cherished freedoms. A few months ago in may we held a hearing on hong kong. Hong kongs future in the balance. At that hearing and before it was highlighted the Chinese Communist party has been eroding hong kongs freedoms guaranteed by the joint federation. The may bill discussed the extradition bill. That includes 80,000 americans who reside there, would have exposed them to the Justice System or the socalled Justice System of the Chinese Communist party. The proposed bill exposed the real and increasing threat to hong kongs autonomy. But few of us could have anticipated the events that would follow. Since june, the people of hyang have bravely taken to the streets for 15 straight weeks and more than 400 separate demonstrations involving more than 8 Million People of every age and every background. Recently there have been incredible reports that have emerged about the treatment of protesters in their custody. We saw images of the Police Holding down a protesters whose head was bleeding and spraying into the wound on the head pepper spray. Which is an act of total cruelty. We watched the police throw tear gas grenades at journalists, many of whom are far away from the demonstrators. Since the 21st of july, thugs associated with organized crime have violently confronted demonstrators and journalists and innocent passer bys and the police looked on. Looked the other way and in some cases even cooperated. And while detained demonstrators have been beaten or their faces smashed into the concrete, journalists have photographed these same thugs in detention, quote unquote, smoking and playing on their cell phones after attacking journalists and demonstrators. Although hong kongs chief executive may have promised today withdraw the extradition bill legislator reconvened, accountability is demanded. The Hong Kong Government refuses to ask for accountability for the violence that continues to be committed against peaceful protesters. The chief executive did not listen to the outcry in hong kong, rather tried to ram it through the legislature. Whats at stake . Hong kongs stubbornness has launched one of the greatest people power movements weve witnessed in recent history. There are two hong kongs. The hong kong of the government, totally leveraged by the Chinese Government has proven its not committed to a free and autonomous future for hong kong, nor is it one of rule of law or justice. The other hong kong is the one of its people, the students and youth activists. Arti artists, lawyers, accountants, from every walk of life. Theyve shown us a hong kong with a vibrant life. The citys is at a cross roads. Maintaining autonomy has real implications for the United States and the rest of the world. Hong kongs status as an International Hub is threatened just as the freedoms of the hong kong people. Threatened by the way not by us, but by the communist party of china. Its my belief its long overdue for the United States to respond. I hope we pass the hong kong rights act so we can provide this and future administrations with updated tools to respond robustly to Chinese Communist party who are undermining hong kongs autonomy. The u. S. Government aneed to u. Officials accountability for their failure to uphold their commitments. The United States and other nations have options precisely because beijing benefits from hong kongs special status, which has made hong kong an International Financial center. Built on the promises that hong kong made to the china made to the world with regards to hong kong which they seek to break. Chinas leaders must respect their autonomy or know their aggression will lead them to face real consequences, not just from the United States but from the free world. I issue one final warning in this regard. I anticipate fully theyll continue their work to turn the system of government in hong kong to resemble one in macao. Hong kong must remain a priority. Hong kong is not a chinese internal affair and the world has a responsibility to help the people of hong kong move towards a future that protects their individual freedoms and provides for civic well being. I look forward to hearing the views in todays discussion. I thank you for your courage and commitment. Thank you very much. Let me just emphasize one thing senator rubio said. We represent on this commission a diverse political spectrum for the left and right and everything in between. We have differences on lots of issues. We couldnt agree on what to have for lunch. But we have one thing in common, we believe that your cause is noble and just and were honored youre here today. So we want to welcome our panel. I want to introduce each one and well go to testimony. Do you want to do okay all right. Ill yield to mr. Smith. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. What a panel of heroes. The best and the bravest and brightest. Thank you for being here and bearing witness to a very uglying truth as to what hong kong is doing. Its been a long hot summer in hong kong as we all know. The inspiring and courageous protests there are a daily reminder of the stark differences between free and authoritarian societies. The people of hong kong have shown the world a free people will not accept repression without protests. The millions of hong kong protesters have also done the world a great service. They have exposed beijings plans to erode freedoms guaranteed to the people of hong kong. They have exposed beijings repressive behavior and make no doubt about it the Chinese Government is repressive and paranoid about maintaining its grip of power. Today there are a more than a milli milli million christians, tibetans and journalists face abuse in a system of surveillance operating in the world today. Why would anyone want their political fate determined by beijing . Given a choice, no one would. As inspiring tprotests have bee, they have raised questions about the communiest government. The use of force by thugs and police i repeat myself is extremely alarming. We were the first members of congress to call on the Trump Administration to suspend the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and other crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong Police. And i agree with that. We need to quickly pass the protect act that we introduced last week. Also alarming are the repeat and irresponsible threats of intervention made by chinese officials. Particularly given this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The Hong Kong Government is responsible for the grieves of the protesters. They alone can peacefully end the protests by addressing the demands for universal suffrage and investigation of police threats. Blaming the United States government and blaming the u. S. Congress for the protests is a act of cowardly propaganda and not befitting of a nation such as china which has aspirations of global leadership. Its time for the u. S. Policy to respond to beijings long term ambitions and pass the hong kong human rights and democracy act. Five years ago, mr. Chairman, i introduced the hong kong human rights and democracy act with my ce cochair, senator brown. The bill allows for more robust u. S. Response to the erosion of hong kongs autonomy and human rights. Over the years senator rubio squand i have upgraded the bill to include political prosecutions of joshua wong, nathan law, and others. However, every time, every single time we pushed for passage, there was opposition from the diplomats, the socalled experts, the Committee Chairs from both the house and the senate and the American Chamber of commerce in hong kong. We were told not to upset the status quo. We were told that it would undermine their efforts with beijing and its hand selected political leaders in hong kong. We were told our bill would cost u. S. Businesses. Its the exact same advice that we have been hearing on china since teiananmen square. Their advice this time will fail the people of hong kong as well. Specifically mr. Chairman, as you know, the bill directs the secretary of state to certify to congress analnually. Such matters of trade, customs, sanctions, Law Enforcement cooperation and rule of law. It directs the state department not i say not to deny entry visas based on an applicants arrest or detention for participating in nonviolent protests activities in hong kong. It requires a report from the Commerce Department and whether the Hong Kong Government adequately enforces u. S. Export controls. It requires the secretary of state to submit a strategy to congress to protect u. S. Citizens and businesses in hong kong from the erosion of autonomy in the rule of law because of actions taken by the Chinese Communist government. It requires the president to identify sanctioned persons in hong kong or Mainland China to be responsible for the erosion of hong kongs autonomy. We have wide agreement for this legislation. Its time its passed. Ive heard it said the business of hong kong is business. I believe its clear that the business of hong kong is freedom. The people of hong kong are working to protect the rights and rule of law that are the foundation of the citys prosperity and unique vitality. This commission and so many of our colleagues in the house and senate stand united with the people of hong kong and will not be silent in the face of threats to their continued liberties, guaranteed liberties and way of life. The u. S. And the International Community cannot be silent or just make nose with nothing that backs it up. The whole world has a stake in the peaceful and just resolution of hong kongs and the survival of the one country two systems model. Hong kong people, i yield back. Im proud to introduce our esteemed panel of witnesses this morning. Three witnesses travelled all the way from hong kong to provide their testimony to this congress. The Panel Includes joshua wong, a pro democracy activists and the secretary general. At the age of 15 he organized protests against Patriotic Education in hong kong. He was on hong kongs first three Political Prisoners since 1997. Sentenced in 2018 with nathan law and alex chou for leadership roles in the Umbrella Movement. He was arrested in august 2019 for his role in a peaceful protest outside Police Headquarters during the antiextradition bill movement. Denise ho, a prodemocracy lgbq activists. She is a supporter of the protests in hong kong and the leading figure in hong kongs proDemocracy Movement. She was arrested during the 2014 Umbrella Movement for taking part in nonviolent protests. The c the Chinese Government has banned her from performing in china. Sunny jung, a spokesperson for the hong kong Higher Education International Affairs delegation. An activist from the Student Union of the United States of hong kong. Established in july of 2019, it includes all Student Unions in hong kong with the primary mission of raising awareness of hong kongs antiextradition bill. He has participated in and organized Exchange Events in hong kong, taiwan, south korea, United States and the United Nations and he recently gave a speech in the uk house of commons. Sharon holmes, the executive director of human rights in china where she leads the International Advocacy and Strategic Policy environment with ngos, and multistakeholder initiatives. They have covered it extensively, hextensiv extensively. She has presented in numerous arenas. Shes a professor of law at the City University of New York School of law and has taught law for 18 years, including training judges, lawyers and law teachers at eight law schools in china. Daniel garrett, phd. An author, photographer and political scientist focusing on Chinese Security and the securitization of hong kong. Dr. Garrett is a graduate of City University of hong kong with over 20 years of engagement with hong kong and completed his dissertation on one country, two systems under chinas National Security framework. He was a career National Security professional, providing counterintelligence, threat analysis and served at the Defense Intelligence agency, National Security agency and the United States air force. I want to thank you all for being here. Were honored by your presence. Well begin with you, mr. Wong. Good morning, chairman, cochairman rubio and members of this commission. Its an honor to be invited by to capitol hill to speak about the violence in hong kong. You may recall i last travelled to washington more than two years and testified before this commission in this same building on may 1st of 2017. What i said back then it was becoming one country, one and a half system. Today, we are approaching dangerously close to one country, one system. The present state of affairs reflect beijings inability to understand let alone govern a free society. The ongoing demonstrations began on june 9th. There are no guarantees of the rule of law still. Carrie lam announced the bills reading would resume in three days. Hong kongers were preparing for the last flight on june 12th. And then the unthinkable happened. Beijing had a vote, protesters surrounded the complex earlier in the morning, preventing lawmakers from convening. I was then serving my first jail sentence. For a moment i wondered why the news channel was replaying footage of the Umbrella Movement. Although it was not long before i realized hong kongers were back with stronger determination. Lam suspended the bill on june 15th. But fell short of fully withdrawing it. A historic two Million People demonstrated the following day. Equivalent to one in four out of our entire population. Im not aware of anything comparable to this level of discontent in modern history. I was released exactly three months ago on june 17th and have since joined fellow hong kongers to protest in the most creative ways possible. In addition to the bill withdrawal, we want lam to retract the label on us as riterrio rioters and drop all charges. Some of us asked for newspaper advertisement calling for the world not to forget hong kong. Legislative Council Complex july 1st, the same day another half million hong kongers protested peacefully. The crowd continue tod show up n the past 15 weekends with more rallies taking place almost daily across the territories. The government would not be its dramatically empowered the police. That light organized crime in the train station and attacked not just protesters returning home, reporters, but even passers by. The police refused to show up despite repeat emergency calls. Plucking hong kong into a state with more violence. On august a5th alone, the day hong kongers participated in the general strike, riot police sprayed gas. The Police Excessive force today is clear. Their excessive use of pepper spray, rubber bullets all of which are imported from western democracy are no less troubling. I applaud congressman smith for introducing the protect hong kong act last week. A company must not profit from the crackdown on houng kongers. This depends on the city being treated as a separate customs area. Beijing should not have it both ways. Grabbing all the benefit of hong kongs standing in the world while erosion of our freedom. Its the most important reason why the hong kong human rights and democracy act support hong kong society. Lam withdrew the bill earlier this month. Just as protesters have long stopped calling for her resignation, this decision was meaningless by now. The movement is far from over because it has long moved beyond one bill or one person. Our most important demand is change in hong kong. Our governments lack of representation lies at the heart of the matter. As i speak hong kong is standing at a critical juncture. The stakes have never been higher. We are confronted by the huge Chinese Military buildup just across the border. President xi jinping is unlikely to take action before the Upcoming National day in october. No one can be sure whats next. With chinas interference in taiwan, tibet its served as a reminder that beijing is prepared to go far in pursuit of its grand imperial project. I was once the face of hong kongs youth activism. This leaderless movement, my sacrifice are minimal compared to those among us who have been laid off protesting. Who have been injured, but too afraid of even going to a hospital or who have been forced to take their own life. The youngest of the 1,500 arrested so far is only 12 years old school boy. I dont know that personally. Their pain is my pain. We belong to the same community, struggling for our rights of selfdetermination. We have built one greater and common future. A child born today will not even have celebrated his or her 28th birthday by 2047. 50 years of unchanged policy is set to expire. That deadline is closer together us than it appears. That case from now, im sure that 2019 will turn out to have been a watershed. I hope historians will celebrate the United States congress for having stood on the side of hong kongers, human rights and democracy. God bless hong kong. Thank you. [ applause ] ms. Ho, welcome. Thank you, chairman mcgovern, cochairman rubio and the members of this commission for holding this hearing and for having us here at this critical moment for hong kong. For more than 100 days young people in hong kong have been at the forefront of the movement. Its a fight for democracy, a fight for human rights and most of all a fight for universal values. What started in june as a one Million People march has morphed into a struggle for fundamental political reform in hong kong. The chief executive carrie lams misjudgments and arrogance worsened the situation, resulting in a total clamp down of the beijing government over hong kongs affairs. To date, more than 1,500 hong kongers, the youngest at the age of 12 years old have been unreasonably arrested. Sadly, it has become a daily occurrence to see youngsters being pinned to the ground with head concussions, if not being knocked unconscious. Riot police and plain clothes officers have deliberately hidden their i. D. Numbers and warrant cards, making it impossible for us to even certify their legitimacy, let alone hold them accountable. On august 21st, police from the special Tactical Unit charged into Prince Edward mtr station, beating up passengers randomly. They shut down the station for 24 hours. Refusing medical care for those who were injured, raising suspicions of possible deaths in the station. Separately, now they will be charging in school yards, shopping malls and buses where young people merely dressed in black can be searched or even arrested without justification. In other words, merely being young is a crime in the police state of hong kong. The protests began with an extradition bill, but at the core its always been about these fundamental conflicts between two different sets of values. Ounce o the china model has no respect over human rights and the rule of law, and our hybrid city that has enjoyed these freedoms on the most of its existence with a deep attachment to these universal values that the United States and other western societies treasure. Hong kong represents something unique in the world. With we have held dear our rule of law in a part of the world where these are most often threatened than upheld. However, this system is now under great threat. Companies like hong kongs Major Airline Cathay Pacific has fired dozens of employees due to their political stance. The Business Community is coerced into making political decisions. As a singer and activist from hong kong i have experienced this oppression first hand. Ever since the Umbrella Movement in 2014 i have been black listed by the communist government. My songs and my name are censored on chinese internet. Pressured by the Chinese Government sponsored have pulled out International Brands have kept their distances. For the past five years and even more so recently, china tried to smear and silence me with the Propaganda Machine spreading false claims. Right now, im facing threats from probeijing supporters and could face arrest and prosecution at any time. Not only have i faced difficulties in china and hong kong, but the censorship has spread to Global Institution and cities. Recently the National Gallery in melbourne, australia, denied venue to a chinese artist and myself due to security concerns. Celebrities are all pressured into voicing their support for the beijing government and could be condemned for keeping silent. Hong kongers are living in a constant fear and have unfortunately lost most of our freedoms. For a city thats been famously known as politically indifferent, the younger generations have took up the road to safeguard our home, standing up courageously to the corrupted system in spite of increased suppression. To the rest of the world, the United States is often a symbol of freedom and democracy, the freedom americans enjoy is something that the people of hong kong have long hoped for. Even though our languages and cultures differ, what we have in common is the pursuit for freedom and democracy. Through the challenge of hong kong, the west is waking up to chinas power and global scale. Hong kong is connected to the world in multiple ways, but china is trying to isolate it. Utilizing its economic powers to come from others to their values. Just as they have done with hong kong in the past 22 years. The u. S. And allies have everything to field if they wish to maintain a world thats free and civil. I urge the u. S. Congress to stand by hong kong and to pass the human rights and democracy act. This is not a plea for foreign interference, this is a plea for democracy and the freedom to choose. I would like to quote eleanor roosevelt, your most beloved first lady, you gain strength courage and confidence by every experience by which you stop to look fear in the face. Youre able to say to yourself i lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. This is a global fight for the universal values that we all cherish. And hong kong is in the very front lines of this fight. We are once fearful of what might have come with our silence and for that we have now become fearless. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Jung, welcome. Members of the committee, thank you for this hearing. Last year, the chinese president sat in a closed door meeting that china would never people in hong kong are trying hard to reject the extrabitidition bill. We want to protect our legal system as the last barrier against beijings political interference. Im asking for the withdrawal of the bill, hong kong people also demand an investigation into Police Brutality to save hong kong from turning into a political state. More importantly, we demand the universal suffrage. We believe that without any structural political reform, any government chosen by the people theres no possibility for hong kong to restore prosperity. We cannot have a society compromised by vujs. T our government ignores our demands by saying we have no stake in the society. Members are followed, beaten and frightened. One of our Student Union members were told by the police that it was reasonable for them to rape female protesters. The authority tries to stop us when more than 50,000 students participate. People who side with beijing are advocating to install cameras inside a classroom to monitor teachers and students who dare to support the movement. This apparently violates our freedom of speech. This is the terror created by the beijing government. Nowadays, students and hong kong people are ready to die for hong kong. And some already did. They believe that the only limits to their freedom is their death. This is the ultimate sacrifice for the motherland. We must not forget them. Many students face rejection from family. Some are forced to leave home. But they still choose to head to the defense line. They are determined. They understand that the price of freedom is high. It always has been. But its a price theyre willing to pay and its a part of liberation theyre willing to choose. We do not fight for freedom out of passion. Passion will burn out. We fight for freedom out of sense of duty and dignity. China is rising. China is using its nationalism and Economic Dominance to put intense pressure on people and Companies Like Cathay Pacific who do not conform to them. Teachers, students, businessmen are facing political persecution in hong kong. This poses a Severe Threat to hong kong. This is a crisis of values and system. We need to contain the communist party of china. U. S. Government should help hong kong people have the right to decide our future. Therefore, we urge the u. S. Congress to pass the human rights and democracy act to expand this to all individuals who infringe our human rights. Moreover, the universal suffrage cannot be achieved immediately. Our autonomy and rule of law will continue to erode. The situation of china manipulating hong kong as a back door for trading with iran and north korea will also continue. Then the u. S. Government should not ignore the special status of hong kong. The u. S. Should send a signal that it would be canceled if hong kong lost its autonomy. Otherwise china will keep taking advantage of hong kong as an International Society but hollow out our values. America will no longer tolerate totalitarianism. Hong kong people will take every step with the last inch of our efforts to fight for democracy and freedom. As Thomas Jefferson once said, he would be forever or against any form of tyranny. I believe its time for americans to stand with hong kong. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you. Welcome. Thank you. Chairman mcgovern, cochair rubio and members of the commission, thank you for this opportunity. Its an honor for me to stand in solidarity with the front line activists. I want to thank the members for their support of the hong kong people and the leadership on the hoir hong kong rights and democracy act. The world has witnessed the david and goliath standoff. The people of hong kong are standing up to beijing. In this historic battle theyre not only fighting for the democratic future of 7. 4 million hong kong people. But theyre holding the regional and global front line on preserving Human Dignity and rights for all people. As congressman mcgovern has already mentioned, the past summer of discontent is part of years of ongoing resistance by the hong kong people against beijings encroachment on hong kongs autonomy, rights and freedom. The mass demonstrations in the past have included resistance against security legislation, official Brain Washing initiatives and the gutting of the promised genuine universal suffrage. After the clearance of the occupy center sites, democracy activists left a promise inscribed on the concrete sidewalks. We will return. They have kept that promise. Instead of beijings hope for a movement fatigue, the protests supported by unflagging solidarity and broad diverse participation are moving into the 15th week. Pressing for five nonnegotiable demands. The acts of police have provided mobilization fuel for hong kong people to add oil. As chairman mao said wherever there is suppression there will be resistance. He also said anyone who crushes the Student Movement will not have a good ending. I want to talk about the rule of law just briefly because there are tensions that were baked into the one country two systems framework, making one country one system or one and a half system perhaps an inevitable outcome. Taiwans president s take away from the current political crisis hits the nail on the head. Note only is it not a viable model for taiwan, but the hong kong example proves that dictatorship and democracy cannot coexist. An independent functioning rule of law is essential, yet the Chinese State constitution and numerous high level policy p pronouncements legitimized it. The reintroduction of the article 23 legislation thats in the works will carry imprints of the partys concepts of National Security. The demand for complete loyalty to the party guts the independence of key pillars of rule of law, Legal Profession and the media. But hong kong is not the mainland yet. Despite efforts like the proposed Hong Kong National anthem law and proposed loyalty requirements, loyalty, pride and love cannot be legislated. So its not surprising that hong kong people have been alarmed. The outrageous and painful excessive violence and abuse of law by the police have already been extensively described. I will move to then talking about whats at stake in terms of the universal values. Chinas aggressive activism at the u. N. Is undermining International Standards. Weakening the existent human rights mechanism and restricting the participation of independent Civil Society. This cuts hong kong people as well as human rights defenders on the mainland and tibetan and weaker communities from the Key International platforms thats available to press for accountability. With this instead of the wests hope for convergence, china is not only playing by the rules, its asserting a set of relativist criteria that it alone can apply and pushing for chinese models of human rights, democracy, and development that is no human rights, no development and no democracy. This rhetoric helps to intimidate, silence and deflect from the accountability of the state. I want to point quickly to its role in blocking independent voices. China sits on the committee of the u. N. , and those such as the interruptions of denises recent intervention. The intervention last week by patsy, the representative of the Hong Kong Federation of women is ill lust trif. She not only defended the handling of the protest, but the protestors of Child Exploitation and more. Cochairman and director of macaw casino operation and is a a Standing Committee member of the beijing Municipal Committee of the chinese peoples conference. I want to take time to the problem of o in addition to the Disinformation Campaign including the agree jous use of 9 11 depict iing the destructio of the world trade towers to warn of terrorist attacks by hong kong protestors. Beijing is advance iing a narrae of violence to frame the hong kong protest that is echoed uncritically by the international committee. Within this framework, the Hong Kong Police protected in full Tactical Gear armed with with rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray and batons, wielding the coercive power of the state is prenlted as one side of an escalating vie e lens, clashes with civilian protestors. Hence we hear both sides calls to deescalate, but this denekts attention away from Police Accountability for its excessive use of force and complicity with nonstate violence. The narrow violence framing of the situation on the ground is erasing or marichalizing intentionally the proliferation of creative and peaceful protests by the hong kong people including by students in boycotts, elderly citizens, silver haired volunteers protecting the children. Hong kong people sing ng the mallses, in the metro stations, in neighborhood gatherings. Shouting the 10 00 p. M. Shots of slogans and forming human chains, creating linen walls and last friday was mid autumn festival and a small family owned bakery made wound cakes with protest slogans and in typical humorous hong kong fafa theyre creating art. This is when is happening on the ground. They are practicing democracy and exercising their freedoms for as long as possible. Theyre making the road by walking it. That is the real revolution underway. Thank you again and i look forward to your questions. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming and we welcome your testimony. Good morning. It is an honor and privilege to talk with you regarding the Chinese Communist partys of the erosion party under the pretext of National Security and its nexus to the extradition goal crisis. Ill begin with five key observations background. The current China Hong Kong conflict and the one country two systems crisis. First, todays one county two systems is not the same as the notion that proffered peaceful coexistence between the hong kong systems. Instead, it has been relaplacedy the woun country two systems model and the par land for governor governing the region rath thaern the confidence building mechanism ensuring peaceful coexistence. One country two systems is now intended to safeguard chinas sovereignty, security and dwomt interests. Two. This new area one country two systems model is formed by the broader National Security concepts known as the three major dangers in National Security with chinese characteristics. The form ee eer sit waits china its stability sabotage there by leaving to the derailing of the modernization in the policy. The latter dramatically broadens the notion of chinese National Security and radically expa expandings the spocope. Consequencely, it e erodes the special inindustry to a high degree of autonomy, diminishes freedoms and widens the threat to u. S. Citizens and National Interest to hong kong. Third, under the new security paradigms, a new era model, dins dent hong kongers have been enemy fired as moral threats to the party state and ban or removed from positions of political power. Elections have been partially nullified. Hong kongers disenfranchised and terrorized with real and rhetorical Political Violence. The promise of hong kong people ruling hong kong has been replaced to the rule of patriots. Declarations propagating hong konger ebb enemy and threat Security Forces have been ubiquitous and mass line and united front campaigns targeting democrats, localists and westernized hong kongers have swept repeatedly over last seven years. Four, since at least 2012, hong kong, one country, two systems, have been perceived by beijing as the weakest links and is resurgent to a National Security state. For chinese authorities, both are at the forefront of idea logical fron confrontation. By the end of 2014 and the Umbrella Movement, the struggle to rule hong kong was said to have matched the intensity surrounding the 1997 handover and that china had to rethink how to rule the enclave. An advise authorities said face longterm struggle to eradicate the city. A de facto revolution that would involve rectifying and sin sizing the judiciary, legislation, media, secondary schools and universities. Chinese and special regions took efforts for social norms on hong kong and violent suppression of protests as hong kongers fight for their endangered freedoms, identity and way of life. This is not an anomaly. This is the sixth chinese governance crisis involving one country two systems since 2003 and the fifth since xi took control of hong kong affairs. Each has an underlying nexus seek iing to broaden beijings powers. Socalled jurisdiction in hong kong and to roll back the high degree of autonomy, freedoms and limited democracy by forcibly transforming hong kong into a Chinese Communist city while maintaining a vee near of no changes. My next few u will touch upon law of National Security. Theyve described it a battle of life and death. A decisive war or jeopardizing it. Since xi came to power, National Security is now mandatory obligation for people in the hong kong sar. This was never written into original law. This has been done since 2012. Early in the saga, senior kye niese leaders have made extraordinary endorsements expressing their full support. This included two Standing Committee members. The head of the state counsels office and the chief. There were also indications that xi is a member of o the group of affairs has weighed in. An influential united front commentator and state media has also observed that if it were not for the full support of the Central Government, the legislation would have been aborted. Chief executive lam recently lamented in a leaked speech that since the issue had been elevated to one of National Security and sovereignty, it had stripped her of political ma mover because the e lam involved the relationship with the Central Government and the implementation of the basic law it was not ator entirely within the autonomy of the special Administrative Region of government. This touches upon the five demands as well as u. S. Policy towards hong kong. Beijings imp sigs of norms constitute a violation of article 5 prohibiting the introduction of the socialist system of the territory. More over, the partys president clinton of its National Security with chinese character mandates special Administrative Region and its civil servants. This is any between the systems posing a significant threat to u. S. Interests related to the protection of sensitive technologies to export controls. The Hong Kong Police force has been militarized and nationalized by the Chinese Communist party. Effectively becoming its little gun in the special admin straif it region. Since the begin of 2019, police have been tasked by president xi preventing andering color revolutions, end quote. Chinas Public Security minister ordered police to firmly fight to protect chinas Political Security unquote, defend National Security and the leadership of the communist party. Earlier, hong kong had received similar National Security in august 2018 charged to quote unquote firmly and effectively guard chinas National Security and rule of law by implements woun country two systems. Also to a vice chairman chairman of studies, the Hong Kong Police are now on the forefront when it came to curving independence which meant their duty was not just to maintain public order, but to defend national surt. Chief executive lam had a weak speech. They have significant legal propaganda to simically manipulate the error content understandings of the basic law of one country two systems and mandates, logics and outlook. The Chinese Association of Hong Kong Studies Association is shadowy Political Warfare connected to the office. One of these new submersive vehicles. Commonly, a network of constitution alex perts and scholars some attached to National Peoples congress have b contributed to the one country two systems polly mobilized Political Violence and understandings of the actual situation in the region. These are key players in the erosion of hong kongs e freedoms and democracy and enables of state tyranny. Thank you. Thank you very much. To senator rubio. Ill ask one questions because i know people have places to go. The sort of the key issue of the forest is autonomy if you go back in 2014, they took away universal rough raewan ver rece chief executive nchl 2016 and 17, they disqualified six democratic lawmakers from Council Seats using a very controversial ininterpreteration of the hong kong constitution. So my question to the panelists is how would you describe the state of hong kong autonomy today . I strongly aware of how one country two system eroded to be one country system. But the reason political crisis by how hong kong and beijing government turned such a global city into the state with more foe lowers and if and what pair. I would describe now the collapse of one country two system and we are facing the theft under the current constitution. Its the time we hope, support hong kong should not be the matter of left of right. It should be the matter of right or wrong. So on a more cultural and social context. There is immense fear among the people to speak their minds. Which is a result of how the businesses and the government constitutions they have put pressure on to their employees or the people to keep their mouths shout, basically. So this has a huge impact on the economy because this freedom of speech, its very difficult for the economy and the society to thrive because in a sense, with we are already in somewhat of a china cityuation. Where people would fear for their safety about their political extent. There has been a written by an anonymous song writer and they have opted to keep their because if they have shown their face, most like ly, they would have been arrested or prosecutors on claims of national threats. Last year, the u. S. City published a report that hong kong is becoming more likely like any other chinese city and that means that our autonomy is already gone and even the uscc has issued a report to came that autonomy of hong kong is in danger. In u. K. When i met some politicians, i would tell them that the Chinese Government thats why i would say the autonomy of hong kong is bood and thats why we urge the country to try to help with hong kong with me of like passing the human rights act. And you can pass the act and airlines together. The economy senator rubio question is important because post 1989, that was a decision made by the communist party. Were going back into Economic Reforms and no political reforms. This has been echoed by the chief executive. When she endlessly had been b having these kind of ridiculous press con frepss where b she says nothing, one thing she says is we need to restore the economy, economic order and completely ignoring the structural political issues that is causing a lot of the fundamental unrest. So the other point i wanted to add is that the hong kong economy was not delivering the goods to most of the hong kong people. The tycoons and probably the triaddses were doing quite well, but not the majority of hong kong people. Hence we have the housing problem, the education problem, the problem of the elderly with not adequate care. And so forth and health care so the economy wasnt delivering and i think what needs to happen, yes, there should be a a renewal newell of the economy, but an economy that works for tall people. If i could pick up on sunnys reference to awe utonomautonomy. What it means for the communist party is we only need to look at the socalled autonomous regions in tibet and singan. No culture, no language, no right, no right to practice your faith and their understand of autonomy even extends to this past life. F as you know, the party is trying to now control reincarnation. So they also try to impose a notion of chineseness. What kind . Well, xis notion of chineseness under the chinese dream and what is chinese k, but hong kongers are quite complex as the history and language and culture and i think hong kongers are going and are negotiating what it means to be a hong konger. Whether it includes being a chinese. Does it mean that. I think what it means to be free. The right to decide and determine in this complex way, what does it mean to be who we are and thats ant thet cal to the dna of the communist party and its notion of autonomy because it doesnt economist. Thank you. The rule of patriots in hong kong means theres no substantive high degree of autonomy. Under xi, a democratic centr centralism is practiced. Solicit input from the Hong Kong Government, but once bay i didnt think makes a decision, but sar government has to implement it. The comments here, National Identity is now a National Security issue for the communist party and hong kong. They believe one of the major problems, this dwoez back to 2007, told a Hong Kong Government on the tenth anniversary that the sar had to create a generation of hong kongers who loved china thachlt the recovery of hong kong wouldnt be complete until they agreed with with communist china. This touches on xis Chinese Communist identity politics, which is attempting to rehabilitate the communist party and into being a communist. This is why we tart being laws protecting the national anthem. There was this effort to rad kate socalled sentiment and anticommunist forces. With regards the autonomy, because the belt and Road Initiative and the greater bay area initiatives because the Central Government believes hong kong signing on has been the two systems. To force that government to support these programs. Once again in closing, i would say theres no substantive autonomy thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. We appreciate you doing this. Thank you to the witnesses. We are so grateful to you for the information youve given us today and for shine ago light on this. We sit this this chamber. Very calm, safe, sterile and you bring to life whats going on in real peoples lives right now. When you talk about a 12yearold being arrested. We hear the idea that someone gets pepper spray sprayed into their wound. When you hear about peoples heads being smashed into the concrete and getting concussions and we hear b about the rubber belts and tear gas and everything else. And People Living in fear on a regular basis for standing up for speaking their minds. Hear in the United States of america, we believed for since nixon went to china, that more that china was exposed to our way of life in the United States and to the west, that they would become more like us. We always thought theyd become, if they saw capitalism, democracy, sooner or later, theyd become more and more like us. And we now know thats not at all the case. Whether the hearings weve held about the weuighurs or tibet or hong kong, we talk about hong kong as being one country, two systems. Its really one world with two models and theyre meeting each other this hong kong right now. And the question is which model is going to win. The model that we promote here in the United States with the rule of law and freedom of expression and with democracy or is it going to be authoritarian israel m and the powerful forces of the government doing whatever they want, whatever way they want. Theyre meeting there and youre in the middle of that challenge right now. So were so grateful to all of you. So im concern ed about the timing of things right now. The national day in china is coming up on october 1st. Im concerned about what Mainland Chinas actions are going to be in relation to that and whether there will be more violence as they try to flex their authority and id like to hear each of you talk b about that. The second thing im concerned about are the local elections coming up in november. I want to hear from you about whether you believe theres an opportunity here for the people of hong kong to express themselves or is minland china trying subvert that by not permitting certain candidates to run and not giving them permission to run which is a foreign idea to us here in the United States of america, but so important to you. And the third timing is say a magic wand was all of a sudden waved. And Mainland China said were going to support the idea of there being elections in the future in hong kong for the leader instead of lam being appointed by the people. Ive talken up a lot of time, but please, october 1st, election day and how impactful that can be. And what the timing would be if they were to agree as one of the five demands that they would be universal suffrage. So r joshua, you first, please. I apart from truce, weed to the border. Thats the tactics to generate. We strongly aware on how lam the leader of hong kong openly declare that had she is considering to impose emergency orders in hong kong to stop the protests. Emergency ordnance is the colonial era law. It authorize the power for hong kong to shut down internet, cut transport and cut the air traffic. We know that political crisis must solve by political system reform. Thats the reason we urge beijing not to hand pick the leader and try to write a free election, but they consider to use this kind of law before or after Chinese National day. They should aware on how hong kong is not only on the brink of russia. Its also under the threat of those martial law and white terror. So i really hope to have by partisan support to pass the hong kong human rights act. The upcoming election scheduled on 24 of november with the track record of how beijing law u maker including nationen law and the one who hope to run for office on early last year, we expect that beijing with its hard line policy to hong kong and to block or buy to run for office. Also hope the voice of young generation could be heard inside the institution and at the same time, im also will make sure that announcement in the late september or early october for myself will run for office on the district council. If beijing government ban me to run for office, they must pay the price on hong kong protest and also in the international committees. So many hong kong, there are many pan democratics and probeijing folks. Is there a chance that could change that dynamic could change because of the protests going on . This district council, we have four and more than 75 of the city are all mostly dominated by pro beijing camp and on 24 of november, we hope pro democratic camp can get a good turnout. I want to emphasize the timing coming up. L october 24 and november 1st are days that could have a big impact on what beijing is doing and what is happening from the people. It could be a flash point we have to be conscious of. Denise . Personally, i dont feel that october 1st would be something to stop the people from going on to the streets as the sentiment is still very, very determined and very strong among all walks of life. And so this fight has been able to sustain itself because of this sort of creative and the flexibility of the people and so i believe that without a sincere answer or solution from the government, the people wont be backing down. And so the side of how the communist government, they would be suppressing us, escalating level, i dont think personally, i feel that there are probably already Chinese Police among the Hong Kong Police force there have been several occasions where the Police Command ers hae been b hurt talking to mandarin to their officers. On this note, b i believe that hong kong people are already facing the Chinese Police in the Hong Kong Police force. Are you concerned about an escalating around national day. Well, i mean its already on the daily basis of this sort of es ka calation. Arrested just for being young, really. I think were already at that stage. For the International Communities to monitor this regime because we and hong kong, we are protecting these values that we all believe in if we fail, what knows what would happen to the world and to the next stage. Thank you. Sunny. Thank you for the question. Personally, i think on on a national day, there will be more es kai calculation on the muchlt because i know that the Chinese Authority must want the hong kong people to try to respect the national day, but on the other hand, hong kong protester, they know that. They also know that its important to have some symbolic movement on the national day. And thats why there will be some escalation of the movement, but i doubt they dare to use the emergency law set upset out the to come to hong kong. Thats why if they deploy or try to use emergency law to crack down on protester, i think this is not promising for hong kong people and for the beijing fwovt and theyll not do Something Like that i feel. I think a couple of things, in addition to the question of infiltration and use of decoys, last august 2018, the peoples daily announced the establishment of a Greater Bay Area Police cooperation mechanism among hong kong and macaw, related to in part of many mechanism, the Public Security department conducted training of key Hong Kong Police personnel. This has been followed lowed up on and one of the questions is important to press what kind of training. Im sure it didnt include international stantdings on appropriate use of force and special proceed you ares issued a jant statement and concern and raising these concerns of the need to make police, there are sophisticated standards on the use of force that youre supposed to deca es late, reduce harm, not create it. And that there are, theres a whole range of Police Crowd Control mechanisms and theyre suppose d to choose. So i wanted to just emphasize that. On the timing of national day, xi is not as powerful as we may think or as he would like us to think. Youre getting to see the tea leaves if you look closely is h that the Party Leaders inside are not happy with the way xi has quote handled the hong kong situation and how do we know this in we know this because lam, the chief executive on a monday i believe said no, no, no. No withdrawal. No, no, no, s et cetera, i withw it, no formal. Two days later that kind of disingenerous explanation, i have heard the hong kong people. For goodness sakes, its been three months f. You cant hear two million, three Million People, why did she say i will now form. Xi is in a lose lose situation. Hes stuck between the hard liners who im pretty much krp concerned about are pushing for military force like because he has shown hes failed. Thumb took two months shut down the whole 89 student and democracy and Free Trade Union lmovement. We are in the third month so under the partys time frame, he has failed. Hes in a dice cy situation. October 1st. This is not any anniversary. This is the 70th. So they have invested a years worth of enormous investment in film festival, special documentaries made. They have said that no chinese documentaries in this chinese tv recently. They have to show history. Theres an enormous amount of investment to keep the legit legitimacy and have a wonderful Birthday Celebration for the country. So hes stuck. It cant look bad. Not the way youre doing it because now we look terrible. Like the thugs we are and so i, i think that is what we should be monitoring are the messages an just last week, a very string straing editorial appeared which is as you know is one of the major party organs. And the editorial pointed out something strange. It said whether a countrys political, this is our translation, sorry. Whether a countrys political system is democratic and effective, one needs to mainly look at whether the countrys leadership ranks can rotate or alternate. In accordance with the law in an orderly fashion. What does this mean in we dont know. Just because the institution eliminated the term limits for the top Office Opportunity mean hell stay, so i think there are some other wild cards that are on the table that we need the keep an eye on in terms of how the u. S. Government can think about options and policy options. Of course we support the legislative initiatives. This is very important, but i think theres something much bigger underway in terms of the politics in beijing that will have an impact on the decisions that will be made pre october 1st and after. Thank you. Dan, ooifr taken up too much time. Let dan go . Well go to senator young. I have a statement to make and i regret i have to leave after this. But i wanted to say thank you mr. Wong and miss ho for your courage in the face of great trial and tribulation. Thank you for the example youre setting for the world and all youre doing for freedom loving people. I want to send a message to beijings communists and my message is is you cant have it both ways. You cant seek to trade with the wealthy nations of the world and rip off our intellectual property. You cant seek to be a trusted International Development partner and engage in predatory economic practices through your belt and Road Initiative and you cannot reap all the economic benefits that you enjoy under american law of hong kongs special status while undermining your rights as hong kongers. While eradicating your political identity. We cant allow this to happen. So i look forward to working with you. I will be signing on to the legislation offered by the cochairman of this economy as you have encouraged us to do so and ill be seeking other opportunities perhaps in the immigration area to provide furor relief to hong kongers who dont want to be a part of this predatory regime that calls itself communist, but in fact, is is is really fascist in many respects. And we must continue to press it to change its behave. Thank you so much for your presence here. Thank you. Mr. Smith. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Theres no disputing the fact that under xi, human rights abuses have seriously worseneded. You named the area from torture, religious freedom. You talked about relations where every single religion or faith, christians, bu dids, uighurs, all have to report communist model or else face severe torture, incarceration or even death. It is incredible what he is doing and his regime and of course, all of that will be imposed on hong kong unless a reversal of this frietrend. On human trafficking, the Trump Administration is designate d, tooer three country. It has gotten seriously worse over the last several years. Every place you look, it is worse. Xi is bringing this honor to himself and to his government with his abuse of people. I think we need to say that loud and clear. The great father of democracy once said and i had him at a hearing and met him in beijing when he was let out briefly in 2000, what the Chinese Government didnt get. So they rearrested him and beat him almost senseless. Well he said you know, you westerners dont get it. You do coddle dictatorship and enable by your weakness. You have to look it in the way and say were not kidding. Condition now with human rights either occurs or were not going to be trading with you and allowing you to use that economic power that you get to further incarcerate and further repress. The lessons of the soviet union were not learned when i came to china. I got elected 1981. First trip was to moscow on b behalf of soviet jews. The reagan stood up strongly and said human rights matter and it did matter and we thankfully saw a change of course under putin. Its still bad, but not as bad during those years. I raise d that because when it came to chip, we have not learned the lessons of condit n conditionality with regards to human rights. I say that with sadness. With great sadness. When we did the act in 1986, e had a World Coalition saying this behavior will not be tolerated. With the police that was section 317 i believe. It deeply concerns me that we keep not learning the lessons. Nancy pelosi, frank wolf, david bonior and i oppose china at Tiananmen Square. George Herbert Walker bush thought he could manage the whole thing. As it turned out, we managed it poorly. Bill clinton came in and he said lets link human rights with trade. One year later, the Lesson Learned by dictatorship was profits tump human rights. I have tried for five years to get our bill, its a collective bill, house and senate, bipartisan, and the same people who said just trade war and send out china with dictatorship to democracy have improve iing, anf it wasnt for the great people of hong kong standing up, being arrested, harassed, killed and tortured, then this Congress Needs to wake up and say finally long last, were going to put conditionality on this. So if you want to speak to that, i would appreciate i. There have been 1,000 arrests since the activities occurred. What is the status of the prosecutions . Joshua, we know your case but there are many others that are in obscurity right now. What has happened to those individuals and are the police largely newer recruits who are more aligned with beijing . Or are they old hands who have become repressive than they had in the past . If you could speed ak to those,d appreciate it. With more than 1500 hong kong arrested in the past three months, before 300 of them were prosecuted already. Im among one of them and were also aware on some of those activists who already detained inside prison before any trial start. Thats the rule of law and Hong Kong Style legal system under the pressure of beijing. Ive been arrested and charged with off price Assembly Even after experienced and jailed for 100 days but the price i paid is just a small piece of cake. Because loss of teammates from my understanding, more than hundred of them face the riot charges. Might be a lot in prison for more than ten years. Five years ago during um brill la movement, we faced one two two years in jail, but now youngster at the age of 15, they should enjoy the summer holiday. They should spend a time, more time in Summer Vacation with their friends and family, but now theyre the ones being prosecuted and need to face a trial and maybe 15 or 16 at the age, the golder year. For themselves. And we have activists who fight for hong kongs freedom face six years in prison. Apart from the massive arrest and prosecution, it seems to be tb tactics for beijing, but with how movements in momentum, more than 200,000 hong kongers marched to consulate urged to pass the bill and to show the global sidalty. Were also aware that the cabinets of chief executives, which means member from the e c executive counsel, last week openly declared that hong kongs chief executive enjoy the right to uphold secret police. T not the terms created by act vs. S or by journalists. Is the current written in the current ordnance. It could authorize the power for hong kong chief peexecutive to lift anyone. Or they will have in a kind of background. They were appointed to be the force. Thats the terror and what all of us will describe hong kong is a police state. Among those who have been arrested and charged for riot, a lot of them have been on sites, but they have not been in the front lines. Some have been first aiders who have been helping other people who have been getting away from the sites. Social workers and legislators who have been arrested. They were not charged for riot, but that is something that is shocking to the hong kong people to have these legislatures arrested. And so on top of that, i would like to add that the situation, that is in hong kong, it is spreading into the international world. Where this communist tactic of silencing people with fear and money, its everywhere, really, not only in hong kong. As i said just now, there have been incidents in australia, where government institutions, they have kept away from me and other kye niese artists for being associated with us. And also kiwanuka da. Where they have been banned from gay pride because of security concerns. So they say. The fact that the companys xwovt, they use this sort of, the money where the friends and businesses, they would be adding this sort of suppression on to their employees and people and then everyone would be just silencing themselves. So this also would cause, is causing a lot of fear among hong kongers and that is why this movement has been largely anonymous because we know that for a fact, if we show our faces, then we would be arrested and prosecutored for riot or Unlawful Assembly. I would like to supplement what our dictate ors has just mentioned about the propmatic law. Actually, human law has as ordnance, a loan yawl law in hong kong. The department of justice in hong kong, they can use this public ordnance to prosecute those protester the easy way. That means the doj of the british force, they try to use the ordnance to prosecute the protester and then actually is very difficult for them to be not a security. And thats why this law should be abolished by the government and the earth that the International Society should also be rare about this law. And apart from that, i had a an eck appearance, a personal experience that a kid of, i had a kid and he was arrested in one of the political around confrontation around during the movement. When that kid was arrested, he asked the Police Officer to ask him can he call his lawyer. The Police Officer, they told him of course you cant because i want to torture you. I want to make you suffer. This Police Officer said Something Like that to a kid who is just under a kid. This is a real situation in hong kong. Why many people are upset and angry. Its related not only to the public order, it has to be an Unlawful Assembly. The notice of the process contributes to that, thats the tool and the tool is hong kongers then face this ridiculous situation where they have to have the police deny the application for a notice of no objection for a file for a group for a peace fful assembly. Therefore making it an Unlawful Assembly for an assembly thats to protest police violence. Its really important that through this misuse of process, they are really violating International Standards for Peaceful Assembly by imposing this kind of unduelly restrictive administrative procedure. The police can act as encoursement, prosecutor because theyre naming this saying its a riot, but a riot is a legal process. Its for the quarter to see if this person to see if this person engaged in illegal behavior and violent, et set rachlt so right now, the police are acting as enforcement and execution ner. That is part of the problem with looking at when we talk about and on top of that, we have politicized decision making. This was noted by independent u. N. Experts several maybe two years ago say ing saying that t concerneded about how to prosecution and who to pursue. Theres an issue recording whether or not hong kongers can get a fair trial. In hong kong in the future. And large reason for this is the heavy amount of propaganda come frg the central peoples government. Whether its a Chinese State media organizations or mainstream organization who quote them u ubiquitously. When the chinese regime characterized demonstrators as extremist terrorists, which is setting an expectation for the hong kong judiciary to act. Not just as Law Enforcement. Not only in the charges that they decide to lay against a protester, but also the sentences theyre trying to get after people. Pro beijing united Front Movement in hong kong have been very aggressive in attacking judges that feel they have been too lenient with protestors and this goes back a number of years. Derogatorily referred to them as judges referring to the yellow ribbons from the umbrella revoluti revolution. Theres been threats made by pro beijing people towards the judiciary in general that have gone on unprosecutor ed. This is a real issue. Also, because of the 2016 intervention by the National Peoples congress. Theres an expectation hong kong judges ahave to up hold the party. So if you rendered it as inconsistent, you may be vulnerable to disqualification. Now this has not happened, but this is a logic that is being used to disqualify candidates of the district counsel, the Legislature Counsel elections and so forth, regarding a place they went to handle mass incidents and theres little visibility on that. We know the pla in hong kong, theres some interarable with them. The commandered om soft hair the passing out their parades so forth like that. But one of f the most dangerous ink terrifying things for most hong kongers is that the Hong Kong Police now act without wearing uniforms, without any type of identification. You can be grabbed off the street, from your home. Nobodys showing you any type of identification. You dont know if theyre a Police Officer. A triad or somebody from the mainland kidnapping you. Theyve been given to do whatever they want and they were seen as the last sign in this. Politici policing issue is a major problem in hong kong. Senator kipg. Mr. King, representative adams was here long before i arrived, so ill defer to him. Go ahead. Thank you, thank you, senator. Today marks significant day in United States history. It was 232 years ago on this very day that our forefathers signed the United States constitution. So its i think with some significance that we welcome you u here today we welcome you here to share your testimonies and as you share in this global study of humanity for freedom and independence. That constitution signed 232 years ago today created a federal system, one with a senate and a house. That oftentimes by design theres some tension between these two bodies. It created three branches of government. Executive, legislative, e judicial. Its an outgrowth of that system, our two Political Parties that oftentimes also struggle for ideas to move forward. It created a system of a federal system with now 50 states that al also, theres a healthy tension sometimes unhealthy, but theres a tension between that system as struggle to move forward ideas and a rule of law. One thing that this a branch we stand together, republicans and democrats, we stand together for the struggle of human rights for hong kong. And we cant have it both ways. A rule of law and human rights and struggle for freedom with the actions that we see that are undermining the very nature of that system in hong kong today and so its troubling to me to see what we have seen play out. Over the last six months. Some of the foundations of a freedom as weve seen in the United States and we see in hong kong, the freedom of democracy and government through elections. The Economic Freedom for individuals and economic competition and rule of law where every individual is treated fairly and equally under the law. What aide loov for you to comment on is where we go from here and with some troubling signs on the horizon. Let me commend all of you who are examples and founders of freedom who i hope will be remembered, but mr. Wong, miss ho, mr. Chung and miss hahn. Id love for you to comment on first of all, mr. Wong, im, the struggle for elections to step forward. Over the last several years, the government has rejected the nomination for candidates running for Political Office who have been supported or been affiliated with selfdetermination. What challenges does this impose today and Going Forward for individuals willing to put themselves and their names n forward. Taking that same look at the foundations of freedom of thought ak deemia. What support to Academic Solutions give to students as they raise their forces in support of intellectual freedom and human rights and also to the economy and free economy, some of the concerns with cafe tas fick and efforts that undermine individuality and freedom of thought of in the marketplace of ideas and in the workplace. What is happening in these respective spheres and foundations of democracy and how can we best support free so, just let me explain whats on the mind of the young generation. In the past few years, they uphold different kind of political belief. They still have the awareness and consensus. They hope their words can be heard inside this institution. Apart from taking to the streets, protests, its also significant for us for a push forward political system and election reform. Unfortunately, with those political censorship, even im considering to run for office and i will make the former announcement in late september or early october. Im still aware how beijing hopes to bar the whole generation of young to enter the institution. But its lucky that with the determination and courage of hong kongers, they just turned a whole generation of youngsters to be dissident. Not only the generation of baby boomers. Even the generation of genx and millenials with solidarity and unity. I will just make it clear, hong kong is not only suffering from the political crisis. We are also suffering from the humanitarian crisis. Especially how Hong Kong Police force just hard line suppress on us. No matter the Sexual Harassment by young ladies arrested or how injured protester would be pulled down by riot police directly. Or how arrested person, its really difficult for them, and we refuse to contact lawyer or seek for any medical treatment. This will turn whole of my generation and generation younger than me, no matter on the street or inside institution, we will keep on together with this uphill battle and we hope that u. S. Congress can stand with hong kong. Ill go. On the freedom of thought side of things, it has been 90 of it probably has been eroded where at least the whole show business has been is in the control of the communist government. Me along with just a very small handful of actors and singers have spoken up for these movements, but the rest of the celebrities, they have kept their silence and they have been forced to participate in these support campaigns on social media, i support the Hong Kong Police or i am a protector of the National Flag campaigns where they have to voice out their support to the Chinese Government or else they would be prosecuted, censored, people like us. Businesses have also been pressured into obstructing these freedoms of hong kongers. Namely subway system. They have closed down stations in times of protests. Therefore, making it very easy for the police to arrest people and also very difficult for the people to leave the sites. That was a result i believe there was an article that was in the peoples daily, the state newspaper, where they have named the mtro corporation, saying they have been helping the people. So, i do think that in a free society, these businesses and corporations do have an obligation, a social responsibility to keep up this kind of integrity at least to safeguard our freedoms, which they have failed to do so. And like right now we do have do not have much solution to these problems because aside from the people protesting, these businesses are exercising their suppression onto their people. So, we hope that this hong kong human rights and democracy act with these sanctions on the government officials and hopefully, you know, if this could extend to these corporations who have been violating the basic law, the freedom of speech and of the people, hopefully that this would be monitoring the businesses and also, of course, government institutions in hong kong. From the academic perspective, we need a correct understanding of china first. In 1989 when professor fukuyama famously declared this is the end of history because he believed democracy is the ultimate form of human government. Terrorism who have no place in the common world but apparently two decades after he gave his speech, hes wrong. And we cannot still using the mindset of the old times that we can that we should continue the engangment policy towards china. We should abandon the engagement policy and try to use a more assertive way to try to understand china. We know that chinas government, they try to establish a lot of Confucius Institute around the world and they are trying to use propaganda and influence youths in other countries, including your kids. This is is not reasonable. Canadas government last year they started to shut down some of the Confucius Institutes. And i believe it is a global fight because when we uphold the Academic Freedom and freedom of speech in the campers, the Chinese Government, apparently they do not agree on that. And when many hong kong people over the past few months, they support the movements in hong kong and they have organized a lot of rights across the globe, in australia, in uk, in u. S. They have received a lot of letters and they are being followed. Their home address are being posted on those social medias. And thats why we need all of the countries, including the u. S. , to support hong kong people in the campus and to uphold the academic to support the Academic Freedom in the long run. Thank you. I think the question this is also related to is chinas clear exercise of soft, hard and shock power. And so i wanted to say a couple things on the academic front. In the u. S. We have over 300,000 Chinese Students from the mainland. And also students elsewhere. I think joshua saw recently close up and personal when he spoke at columbia, the actions of the students. Im not raising it to think theres an easy answer, but i do think we must be thinking about how do we and i use it for lack of a better word engage the fact that were welcoming students into u. S. Institutions. I taught i teach a human rights course at nyu as well, and i had some mainlanders who did not want to take my course because theyre afraid to take the course, because if they take the course, other people are reporting on who took the course by sharon, human rights in china, director. And even recently if i had students in the class as observers or whatever from the mainland. So im saying the censorship is on mainland students as well. We do have them protesting but we also have to recognize, they are all under surveillance with families back home. I really want to echo denises call to bring in the role of the companies. In particular, as the protect hong kong act moves forward in discussions, and i know that its going through a legislative process, i think it would be really good to think about and address the question of the u. S. Companies because not only will the denial of export licenses really address the issue, it will address the issue of no longer being complicit, but will it address the issue of the actual category of lethal and nonlethal materials . And i wanted to point out that china hosts the China International exhibition on Police Equipment every two years. The next one, all held in beijing, will be held on may 12th to the 15th. Thats a really important date. And they sell and they have thousands of exhibitors from all over the world and companies. And in the past, we have been monitoring many u. S. Companies have gone to exhibit and sell. And then afterwards report very proudly on the are we singing . Not yet. Not yet, right . Not singing yet. But theyve also reported on the hundreds, the millions of dollars of contracts that they were able to secure in beijing. So, i think one thought might be to aside from or in addition to export licenses, what about Technology Transfers . What about collaboration . What about them training the Chinese Partner Companies . What are the other things that need to be in place because china has been named an economic competitor for the u. S. Theyre an economic competitor where the soes are dominating the economy. You are not investing in all your companies but china is investing in the key industries. That is technology, ai, the military sector, Financial Services and the ict. I want to ask one final thought for what can be done Going Forward. Next year on the Human Rights Council at the end of this year, china rotates off. According to the rules, cant come back on in 2020. I think that is the year in which the u. S. Government know you have left the council for various analyses of its effectiveness, but that does not take away the fact that the u. S. Is still viewed as a leading player among all the Member States and the council. You can exercise your role as an observer. You can also exercise your very influential role in working with other democratic governments to issue joint statements, joint initiatives. So i think 2020 is particularly important. In particular, that is the year to push because youre also on the ngo committee. That is the year to support and push for the reforms that are needed to allow independent Civil Society groups to be able to participate. As you know, my organization has applied for status over the last 30 years and both times you cant make it out of the ngo committee because china just looks at us and goes thats it. Its end of story. So, i think its very important that the u. S. Can raise the issues not only as an observer but in the general assembly. I know youre quite active on the third and fifth committees. Thats where i think its really important to exercise leadership. 2020 is the year you can push because china will be there with its client states and threatening everybody else to support them when theyre not there. The point is, they wont have a vote. So, i think its a good year to get some traction. Ill just make a couple of quick comments. U. S. Has Law Enforcement cooperation with the Hong Kong Police and this may need to be reconsidered or looked at more strongly in the future. Second, basically as far as companies go in hong kong, theres a one country, two system apartheid where Patriotic Companies are privileged. If you have to be a prodemocracy supporter, youre at the bottom if not an enemy. Regarding hong kong universities, theres seven public ones. Theyre all funded by the sra government. So, this puts pressure on the type of academic agendas, research, so forth like this. Theres real problems if youre considered a sensitive personality like benny thai or sensitive issues that may or may not be clearly evident. Theres also a lot of things that happen on Hong Kong Related to academic and other freedoms that are above the water and below the water line. One of them is one of the things the Hong Kong Police are doing right now are i. D. Checks writ large. Even if youre not arrested, your name is being recorded and associated with being at a protest site. This may come down later in some vetting process by stateowned enterprise or other hong kong companies. Former chief executive long discussed such a possibility back i think it was around 2014 or 2012. And my last comment would be that Chinese Stateowned Enterprises Incorporated in hong kong should not be treated as hong kong companies. Thank you. Thank you. I know we have two senators here. Theres a vote on, so im going to yield to senator king, but i would if we could keep our answers short so they can both get their questions in, i think that would be helpful. Senator king. Thank you. Im struggling with the fact that we have an island of democracy in a sea of repression. Youve got a country which now seems to be perfecting the control state. Ls of cameras, facial recognition, oppression of the weaker, religion, everything, and yet you have hong kong. You have two societies moving in the opposite direction. Very briefly, whats the solution or is there one . Where does this end . As a practical matter. Theres 7 million, i understand, hong kongers and almost, what, 800 million mainlanders, whatever that number is. The other piece i wanted to ask, is there any sympathy for the hong kongers within the mainland . Is there a nacent i wouldnt call it a Democracy Movement but at least a freedom, freedom of Expression Movement or is the government in such firm control thats a fantasy . Give me a picture of where this goes. Thank you. I have no answers because this is an ongoing struggle. I do want to say the control state you put your finger right on it. A control state is china has built a whole ecosystem of control through the technology, through the law. We didnt even talk about the Cyber Security law in the history of the world. Most comprehensive. Because it also is built on selfcensorship. Its also built on whole social platforms of Community Reporting on each other. So, theres this whole ecosystem which is pretty comprehensive that feeds each other. But the one thing about technology thats interesting is that the assem ttry of power ofn tho authoritarian state not within the mass crackdowns on lawyers, the torture, the mainland, notwithstanding the killing of untold thousands in 1989 of tanks. They have not the communist party has not been able to shut down people, chinese people, who continue to work for a whole range of human rights. So, thats number one. The second thing we havent really mentioned is that hong kong has always been since 89 the only city in, i will say within formal china, that has over 100,000 people every year on june 4th remembering. It was hong kong students, it was hong kong journalists who went up to beijing to support the Democracy Movement. And there are very moving stories of the protesters knowing the tanks were coming but can they they said, let the hong kong students they must make it safely back because they will tell our story. Can the beijing regime tolerate hong kong . Isnt hong kong a fundamental threat to this whole control regime . Half of hong kong is a fundamental threat. The part of hong kong that can be its golden goose that lays the golden egg, they like that pot. But that goose isnt living in a freerange farm. And they want that golden goose to absolutely be like, keep laying those eggs but youll have no air, no this, no that. Theyre trying to do something impossible. Theyre trying to keep half of hong kong denying of reality of what and who hong kong is because hong kongers we have had a history of freedom. We have had a history of working courts and independents. You cant just wipe it. Sympathy from mainlanders, i know, because i also teach human rights seminars in some institutions in hong kong, that mainlanders participate in the demonstrations. And i can tell you, when they participate in the demonstrations in hong kong, Million People, their parents back home on the mainland will get a knock on the door and a visit from the Public Security saying, your daughter, your son is in those marches. Tell them to stop. So, both in hong kong, mainlanders in hong kong, theyre very its not just what you see in the media of them protesting and fighting. There are hong kongers who support and are inspired by, thats what beijing is afraid of. Theyre afraid, thats why they first censored everything and then suddenly they realized, we cant censor. Everybody has those illegal vpns and they are getting the information. So then they started doing the disinformation. The blackout didnt work so they started the disinformation. The other point is there are mainland ers frers from the beg in june who have expressed support for the hong kong Democracy Movement online. What has happened to them . Arrested, detained, threatened, intimidated, et cetera. So, notwithstanding the full full force of an authoritarian police state, theyre not able to shut it down. And, mr. King, theyre not able to tell mainlanders who do see what theyre seeing and who are not afraid and who are also willing to pay the price to support hong kongs movement because they understand that if hong kongers can hold the line, then the mainlanders who also want democracy and freedom can also have a chance. But hong kongers are the front line. Well, i want to join my colleagues in thanking you all. Its hard for us to conceive the courage it takes. Theres no doubt that in this room today is someone reporting to beijing about each of your testimony. Thats right. Thats right. And so, please make sure were stated properly. I dont want any miscoquotes. And i want to thank you for your courage to speak the truth. And hopefully we will be able to pass some of this legislation to make it clear to the regime in beijing that democracy is an important value and were just not going to Pay Lip Service to it. Thank you all very much. Thank you all very much. Senator danes. Thank you, chairman. I want to thank the panel for coming forward for providing expertise on this timely and important topic. As many of you know, i spent more than five years living in guangzhou and hong kong in the private sector raising a family. I have four children. Two of our children were born in hong kong. Im deeply concerned about the ongoing erosion of autonomy and human rights in the region, and i will tell you i stand with the citizens of hong kong. In fact, just this past month i helped lead a legislative exchange between the u. S. And six legko leaders who came to my home state of montana. This event was important. To better understand the situation of hong kong and identifying what some of the key issues were and have a very open and free exchange. As leader of the free world we, the United States, and the entire world, must continue to support the autonomy and the freedoms of hong kong. It is one country, two systems. I was in hong kong on june 30, 1997, and saw the union jack come down for the last time. The hong kong Central Government needs to work with protesters to accept the demands put forward by the citizens of the country and the use of Excessive Force by the police must end immediately. We must continue to work towards towards building a strong relationship between our two countries. The protesters have built a con sen sense around demands, the withdrawal, extradition bill and, of course, universal suffrage. Does the government need to comply with all five demands immediately or is there a phase or turn of outcome that might be acceptable . Hong kong people fight for free election and suffrage since three decades ago, even earlier than i was born. All the five demands is the consensus of hong kongers that took to the street in the past three months. All those five demands are also within the existing constitution framework. Especially beijing recognize the importance to let hong kong people enjoy freedom and autonomy, especially with the coa courts of hong kong run by hong kong people. We must have democracy, even with strongly experienced state capitalist regime crackdown on Congress Hong human rights. I will say that. Now we have continued our summer of discontent and becoming the year of discontent. We just hope the world will understand more how hong kong people are in a difficult time in this longterm and uphill battle. Let me, if i could thank you. Ive got a vote coming up i have to get to. A followup question. How do you expect chief executive carrie lam, how do you think shell respond to these demands . And how much power does she have to make concessions or would beijing have the final say . Thats an extremely good question. Carrie lam is a puppet government handpicked by beijing. And she is not a decisionmaker. What we realize is withdraw the bill or not, stopping Police Brutality or not, or allowing hong kong people enjoy a free election or not, all depends on beijing authorities instead of hong kong authorities. Carrie lam doesnt have a say on it. Shes just following the order from beijing authorities. Especially how the state council in beijing regularly hold press conference in the past few weeks to criticize on hong kong protests. Its already show how carrie lam can solve the political crisis by her personal capacity. All right. Thank you. Ive got to id love to keep the discussion going longer. We appreciate it. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And i think mr. Smith, one additional question. Thank you very much, chairman. I do appreciate it. If i could, and miss hom you mentioned, and i think it bears a little further scrutiny. One of the notions of free lunch in my opinion applies to steroids confusion centers which are agents of influence, pushing the beijing line. In the past in both my subcommittee and human rights which i chaired and this commission, i filed a series of hearings on confusion centers as well as on those entities, universities, colleges, that get access to the Mainland China especially and get an enormous number of perks, money, Physical Plant venues for their colleges or universities, including nyu and, as a matter of fact, i had the chancellor of nyu testify at one of my hearings. Ask asked that i could go and speak. He allowed me to come and speak on human rights in shanghai at the nyu campus. The concern is that theyre en route to 1,000 or Something Like that, globally, that is to say the chinese impovt with these confusion centers. We have 96 in the United States. 82 are public. 14 are private. One of the things im most concerned about, and rob portman and i asked for a gao report on this that finally came out in february of this year, and that is to look at the terms and conditions, which really is mostly secret, but we have a situation where handpicked teachers come to the United States, come to africa, go to africa, i should say, latin america, everywhere and they seemingly are doing education in the language and culture, but its all about the world view and the Domestic Defense of xi jinpings policies, including hong kong. My question very specifically is, what are the confusion centers . Do you have any insight as to what theyre saying about whats going on in hong kong right now . And those universities and colleges, u. S. Based that are in china today, what are they able to say and do without fear of retaliation, like at the nyu campus in shanghai, about this great human rights prodemocracy effort on the part of all of you in hong kong . Ill start off, the thank you. I think its important also to note that the Confusion Institutes and the pushbacks have also been led by really active, wonderful activism by students for free tibet and the free the Tibetan Community free the uighur that show you can push back and get the institutions to be more accountable and reliable. I think the quick answer to what are they saying, its what can they say will always be under the guideline right now. Under the now the Ideological Campaign thats under way, where every single party, nonmember, has to participate in political study, that the line of the day, what can be reported in the news, everything, will be reported from the top. If you say anything, and as you know under the new regulations, under the Cyber Security act for the news, news is defined very broadly to include opinion, commentary, including blogging, including so, you cant say, blog, think anything except what the line comes down. So, when the line comes down on hong kong currently, the line is, it is a riot backed up by black hands, led by the u. S. , interfering in domestic affair and violating chinas sovereignty. This is the same old chestnut we hear over and over. They have to get a better story here. But thats what they keep saying. Thats the dominant what anyone can say, because if you say anything against that, for example, you have a different idea, not only are you violating the new news regulations, youre also running the risk of subversion, incitement, because that is defined as, you know, going against the partys views. So, i think thats why it is so important that the that the authoritarian system in the mainland must change. Its got to change or i think its still you know, i think hong kong people ip know ive heard some of my friends and colleagues say to the u. S. , please, save us. I actually have another angle on that. I think hong kong people will save ourselves. I think hong kong people are going to do it. What i think is necessary from the International Community is, please, help make the human cost less because its very clear and heartbreaking that the young people are ready to go to the mat. And i think the key is, as i think the u. S. Government and this commission is doing, is to stand by so that the human costs can be mitigated a little bit. Understand. But how do the teachers at Confusion Institute get their marching orders . So, this is like going inside of a black box, but let me speculate. I am pretty sure that all the curriculum are approved and reviewed. Im pretty sure they dont exercise Academic Freedom and say, heres a creative thing i can do about hong kong. Im pretty sure its approved curricula. You will see nothing there about 89. There are big holes in that history. Whats happening and all of the youll probably read about the diverse ethic groups in china, happy people, happy tibeta tibetans, happy uighurs. Youll probably see that version of what is happening. So, im pretty sure. The other thing is if the those institutes are also monitored. So if anyone says anything that actually challenges the dominant narrative, im pretty sure that teacher will be in trouble. So, i think its pretty tightly controlled. And the money is the what do you say the word, the enticement to universities. And i think not only just for the Confusion Institutes. They some time come along with really good goods like an endowed chair, like money for a program. So, i think theres this kind of collapse. Because senator danes left, can i Say Something to him anyway . Yes. Senator, im so sorry but i really think its important. As somebody who loves hong kong and personally and professionally and as a member of the from the private sector, i think we need to also remember that every single soe, stateowned enterprise, has a Party Committee. And now that requirement has extended to foreign, to companies with Foreign Investment and foreign companies. I had a foreign a Canadian Company ask me, how could that be . Why are they making us establish a Party Committee . I said, youre not being targeted. All the companies will have to have a Party Committee. What does the Party Committee do . Review your personnel, review your management, review your business decisions, make sure everybody is ideological pure, yeah, yeah, yeah, like that. Do they hide this . Its not a secret. Look at the reports of china telecom, china mobile. They have pictures of the annual committee. They say, we did good, the Party Committee is happy with us. We complied. So, i think American Companies going in, there are listed soes. I think apple daily reported over 120 that are listed Chinese Companies listed on the hong kong exchange. They all have Party Committees within their management structure. So, i think we need to look at that when youre looking at these other actors. Thank you. Thats for you, senator danes. Youve been patient. Youve been here for 2 1 2 hours. Im the last person. But this hearing is winding down. First of all, let me thank everybody for being here. Everybodys testimony has been informative and has given us some marching orders. I appreciate your responses to the questions. And, you know, senators i mean, congressman smith earlier on in the hearing referenced kind of the past inactions by the u. S. Government in response to human rights abuses in china and weve kind of looked the other way or we thought more trade would do it or more of this would do it or whatever. And things havent gotten any better. Things are continuing to get worse. And i think its fair to say that for the most part, the you know, the u. S. Government has been very good at talking the talk. When it comes to tibet, we issue the obligatory statement that we respect the rights of the tibetan people to practice their religion and respect to the dalai lama but the repression continues and theres no consequence. I think part of what were trying to do is change that. Just talk in and of itself doesnt end up changing anything. There needs to be a consequence. So, were trying to move legislation forward that would impose that consequence. And i think it is very clear from everybody here that the protect hong kong act and the hong kong human rights and democracy act are important items for us to pass in the house and senate. And i believe, and i can probably give you an assurance, that we will do that. I mean, you know, it doesnt happen here overnight. Senator rubio talked about hearings that are happening in the senate. We have assurances from the relevant committees in the house that they will move on this. And i believe they will come to the house floor and senate floor and receive bipartisan support. So, that will happen. We get the message on that and we will follow through, so we have our assignments. Mr. Wang and miss ho and mr mr. Cheung, you traveled along with your colleagues behind them, i want to recognize them, have traveled a long way at a very critical time in hong kong. And youve come here to build International Support for hong kong. And i think it would be important to the record for you to say, you know, why it is so important that the International Community and the United States support your effort. I mean, why that is critical to the success and what you are doing. And i also would like to get everybodys response to this. And that is, you know, i have to be honest with you, i have not ive been somewhat disappointed in the current administrations our administrations response to what is happening in hong kong. I think it should be much more forceful. I would appreciate your comments on advice you would give the Trump Administration on what they should be saying when dealing with the Chinese Government. Lets begin with dr. Garrett and end with mr. Wong. Speaking to what advice we could give the Trump Administration, i would say, that u. S. Responses have to be resolute, to use the hong kong term. If theyre not hard, if theyre not you unwavering, you will not get any respect from xi jinpings communist party. They will exploit it. The strong man aesthetic is what rules beijing right now. And even in hong kong and tamar. So, this dealmaking doesnt really mean much to them because whatever deal they make, theyre going to subvert. So, its like with the rule of law, just like what universal suffrage, just like what defense means in the hong kong basic law. It means something different. We call it party speak. And i think the administration has to be aware of this party speak and understand it. Second, as others have alluded to on both sides of the pacific, this is the first ideological confrontation of the new cold war. Whether or not you agree its a cold war or not, the discussions have been out there but its perceived by both beijing and people in d. C. To be an ideological confrontation. The witnesses here, the people in this room are looking to save hong kongs autonomy, to save the two systems. Well, in beijing, and some places in hong kong, theyre looking to weaponize the two systems against the u. S. So, this is not just an issue of getting a good trade deal from china, its an issue much broader than that. The weaponization of one country, two systems or the system specifically is looking at how china can use hong kongs advantages such as u. S. Customs treatment of it to exploit the world. Weve seen it with the recent scandal at the United Nations where patrick ho was basically found guilty of state capture of the United Nations to promote the belt and Road Initiative. Weve seen it earlier with china getting its first Aircraft Carrier from ukraine. That was done through a whole series of deceptions and manipulations of hong kongs special status. These types of things are still going on today. But were not looking at this is one of the reasons why, in my opinion, its very important to treat Stateowned Enterprises in hong kong and anybody affiliated with the ccpcc or the mpc differently than how we would treat regular hong kongers. Thank you. Miss hom . I really think thats a scary thought to give advice to trump or the administration, but i think that any actions by the administration has to hold true to the u. S. Core values. The u. S. Has core values on human rights and democracy and freedom. And i totally echo hong kong should not be made into a bargaining chip and some deal thats on the table. The ideological confrontation and the battle of the models is actually much more than that. Its really china against the world. Its not two models of equal legitimacy and equal because the model that china is trying to attack and replace is the model that the International Community with eleanor roosevelt, in fact, playing a very key role in the universal declaration, it was it was a world order that came out to say we will never again have what happened in nazi germany. We will never again have mass detentions. We will never have mass trampling on Human Dignity. So, to take down that order, its not about models. The chinese models are not coequal. Its a Chinese Party model. And i think we should start framing it as china against the dominant world order. It is a dominant world order and it still exists and they cant treat it as if we can now change the model. And so i i think on no consequences. There needs to be more consequences, but its not totally accurate. Its very important to recognize that there are consequences already. When the u. S. Speaks up, when the commission has this hearing, its being watched and its being listened to. Im sure were in living rooms in beijing right now of some high official watching this. But youre live on cspan. Im on cspan. You know, [ speaking Foreign Language ] is what i have to say to them. So i think the consequences that we also should keep in mind is the party does want legitimacy. It cant stay in power through naked military bullying and force. It can get a long ways with bullying, but it cant stay in power without legitimacy. Thats what the whole International Human rights system, the u. S. Holding onto core values. You dont have to give that up. You say, no, were not going to give you that legitimacy. We youre acting like a thug. I think thats really important. Mr. Cheung. A Quick Response to your question is china is getting more wealthy and is getting mighty. China is picking up fights with other countries in the free world. China is expanding their military in the south china sea. They ignore the international judgment and they have the ownership of the south china sea, which severely threatens the security in the asiapacific region. They even pick fights with canadian regarding the huawei incident. Who would pick fight with canadian . Only china, i think. Thats how assertive china is. I believe america is the only other superpower that can really try to contain china. Thats why we need the support from the u. S. Government. And regarding how china is doing a lot of silence invasion, you use the word according to the professor, using their Economic Dominance trying to control many local societies in other countries. Many local societies in other countries are already compromised, like some east Asian Countries and like country like sri lanka. They have to lease military port to china for 99 years. This is new for me, and i believe only u. S. Can contain china. Also secondly, i believe, why u. S. Should be concerned about hong kong is that many interests you have many interests in here and you have to secure your interests. For example, a few months ago, when there is a u. S. Sanction that hong kong should not allow a ship which is carrying the oil from iran. And the point is that Hong Kong Government, they ignore the u. S. Sanction and they allow the ship to come to hong kong and try to carry those oils back to iran. And this undermine your interests. Thats why this is one of the most Important Reasons you should care about hong kong and you should do something instead of just maybe issuing statement to support hong kong. Thank you. Miss cho. This historic fight in hong kong has only been possible with the determination of the youngsters and of the hong kong people. And i would really like to take this chance to thank the members of this commission and chairman mcgovern and cochairman rubio for, you know, the continuous attention on hong kong issues and, of course, to the push of this act because this has contributed and giving hope to the hong kong people. And the way that it is telling the youngsters that their efforts is actually making a change in the world. And that we are not in an isolated struggle. It is a global fight. We are in the front lines of this global fight to protect these universal values that we all cherish. So, by hopefully by passing this act, we would be seeing a momentum in the International Communities where other countries they might join in and to preserve and to to preserve these values and also to monitor this totalitarian regime that is actually destroying these values on a daily basis. So, thank you very much. Mr. Wong. With the shock power expansion from china to canada and australia, the belt and Road Initiative implies how china take advantage in economic in european country and how china do not respect on International Order after entering wto, after promise on joint declaration and even having negotiation with u. S. On the trade deal. We are all aware of the uprising china model is just the expansion of totalitarian rule and without respect to international awareness. Thats explains why hong kong matters to the world because hong kong people stand on the forefront to confront authoritarian rule and hong kong people is aware that hong kong is their forefront and we will confront the authoritarian crackdown. If hong kong fall, the next may be the free world. And i strongly realize now is the time for the u. S. Congress to pass the hong kong human rights and democracy act. And also i hope u. S. Government could reveal its Foreign Policy to china to prioritize human rights issues, especially now were not only suffering in the political but even humanitarian crisis. The first time for me to be in prison is two years ago. I remember i watched tv news on how beijing authorities announced a noterm limit for president in the future, which just let me realize that when i was in prison and the one who locked me up in prison, which means the authoritarian rule represented by president xi, will be emperor xi. Thats the uphill and longterm battle. In 2047, no matter me or sunny or others, we will be at age of 50. And i hope after 28 years hong kong can still be our hometown with freedom and democracy. And i think its the time to thank all the congressmen and senators in the past few years, and even in the past few decades, really paying attention to protest movement in hong kong. With he stand as one, hong kongers never walk alone. Thank you. Thank you very much. [ applause ] letmy thank the staff and commission for all the work they did in preparing. Let me thank the panelists. To our friends in hong kong, let me thank you for your courage and commitment. I think what is prompting action here in the congress is, you know, your courage that we see unfold i unfolding on our Television Screens and we read in the newspaper. I have to say, for everybody here, you have been an inspiration. And, you know, as i said at the beginning of the hearing, were a diverse Political Group on this commission. And but on this issue were in solidarity with you. We believe that the future of hong kong ought to be determined by the people of hong kong and, again, i cant thank you enough for being here. So, thank you. This hearing is adjourned. Excuse me, assembled media. Could we have a scrum over here in the well. If youre from the media, come over here in the well. Members of congress will be available, but talk here. If you want to ask questions were having them available for press across the street. But the members will come across the street. We have youngsters here. [ crowd chanting ] God Bless America protect hong kong [ crowd chanting in Foreign Language ] may freedom relieve hong kong thank you. Theres a chinese version as well. [ singing in foerp languareign ] [ singing in Foreign Language ] [ singing in Foreign Language ] [ singing in Foreign Language ] [ chanting in Foreign Language ] [ crowd chanting Free Hong Kong ] later today here on cspan3, cory ley lewandowski will testi before the House Judiciary Committee on whether President Trump obstructed Robert Muellers special