The committee will come to order. Good morning and welcome to todays hearing on hong kongs summer of discontent. The commission heard compelling testimony from pro democracy advocates including martin lee who expressed concerns about the extradition bill moving towards becoming law at that it time. That would have put anyone in hong kong including u. S. Citizens at risk of extradition to Mainland China. Over the last 16 weeks, millions of people from all waux waus of life in hong kong have taken to the streets from an unprecedented and sustained show of unity. The protesters have inspired the world and risks their lives, health, jobs and education to fight for the future of hoc congress. Thank you for your courage and bravery. We stand with yo stand with you. They used unnecessary force to target those using dem Trump Administrations. The commissioner has called for an investigation. The uk has suspended export licenses for the sale of tear gas 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 offa 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 autonomy 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 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 when the 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. Artists, lawyers, accountants, from every walk of life. Theyve shown us a hong kong with a vibrant life. The city 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 need to u. S. 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 bearing witness to a very ugly 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 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 protests have been, they have raised questions about the communist 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 and 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 Tiananmen 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 annually. 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 Chinese Government has banned her from performing in china. Sunny jung, a spokesperson for the hong kong Higher EducationInternational 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. 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 k to capitol hill to speak about developments in hong kong. You may recall that i last traveled to washington more than two years ago and testified before this commission in this same building on may 1st of 2017. Whi what i said back then hong kongs done country two system was becoming one country one and a half system. I dont think there is any doubt to those who have followed recent events, the present state reflect beijings inability to understand let alone govern a free society. The ongoing demonstration began on june 9th. When one million hong kongers took to the street in protest of proposed litigation that would have allowed to expedite to china where there are no guarantees of the rule of law. Before the night end the cheer executive announced the bills reading into resume in three days. Hong kongers were preparing for the last fight on june 12th. And then the unthinkable happened, knowing that beijing control enough votes in the Legislative Council protesters surrounded the complex earlier in the morning, successfully preventing lawmakers from convening. I was then serving my first jail sentence. For a moment i wonder why the news channel was replaying footage of the Umbrella Movement. Although it was not long before i realized hong kongers were back with Even Stronger determination. Lam suspend the bill on june 15 but fell short of fully withdrawing it. A historic 2 Million People demonstrate the following day, equivalent to one in four out of our entire population. Im not aware of anything comparable to this level of discontent against government 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 withdraw, lam to retract label on us as rioters, drop all political charges and conduct an independent investigation into Police Brutality. Some of us crowd funded for newspaper advertisement ahead of the g20 summit in late june calling for the world not to forget hong kong. The chamber of legislative complex on july 1st, the same day half a million hong kongers protest peacefully. Crowds 2nd to show up in large numbers in the last 15 weekends with rallies taking place almost daily across the territories but the government would not listen. The movement reached a turning point on 21 of july, that night pro beijing with suspect ties to organized crime in the station and in the attacked not just protesters returning home, reporters on the scene, but even passersby. The police refused to show up despite repeat emergency call. Plucking hong kong into a police state. On august 5th alone the day hong kongers participate in a general strike riot police shoot 800 canisters of tear gas, compare that to 87 fires in the entire Umbrella Movement five years ago. The Police Excessive force today is clear. Their excessive use of pepper spray, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and Water Cannons almost all of which are imported from western democracy are no less troubling. In light of this i applaud chairman mcgovern and congressman swift for introducing the protect hong kong act last week. American Companies Must not profit from the foulest crack down of freedom loving hong kongers. Cochairman rubio is right for recently writing that hong kongs special status under american law depends on the country being treated as as a separate customs offer. It is the most important reason why the hong kong human rights and democracy act of hong kong civil society. Then finally withdraw the bill earlier this month but just as protesters have long stopped calling for harassment this was almost meaningless by now. The movement is far from over but it has gone beyond one bill or one person. Or most important demand is structural change in hong kong, free election. Our governments lack of representation lies at the heart of the matter. As i speak hong to think is standing at a critical juncture. The stakes have never been higher. We are confronted by the huge chinese buildup just across the border in schengen. President xi jinping is unlikely to take action before october, but no one can be sure whats next. Sending in the tanks remain irrational but not impossible. With chinese in taiwan, tib bit and especially schengen it served as a reminder that beijing is prepared to go for in pursuit of imperial project. I was once the face of hong kongs youth activism and in this Leaderless Movement my sacrifice are minimal compared to those among us who have been laid off of 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 them personally, yes their pain is my pain. We belong to the same community, struggling for our rights of selfdetermination. So we can build one brighter and common future. A child born today will not even have celebrate his or her 28th birthday by 2047 when the 50 years unchanged policy is set to expire. That that line is closer to us than it appears. Theres no return for us. Decades from now when historians looks back 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, the side of 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 very critical moment for hong kong. For more than 100 days now young people in hong kong have been at the forefront of our resistance. This is a Leaderless Movement with widespread participation from people of all walks of life. It is 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 moved into a struggle for fundamental political reform in hong kong. Chief executive carrie lams misjudgments and care gans 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. On the other hand, riot police and plain clothes officers have since early on deliberately hidden their id numbers and warrant cuts making it impossible for us to even certify their legitimacy let alone hold them accountable. On august 21st police have the special Tactical Unit charged into Prince Edward mtr station beating up passengers randomly. They then shut down the station for 24 hours, refusing medical care for those who were injured, raising even suspicions of possible deaths in the station. Severally 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 it has always been about these fundamental conflicts between two very different sets of values. On one hand the china model which has no respect over human rights and the rule of law, and our hybrid city that has enjoyed these freedoms for 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. We have long held dear our rule of law, transparent institutions and the freedom of expression 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 cafe pacific has succumb to political pressure firing 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 the suppression firsthand. Ever since the Umbrella Movement in 2014 i have been building listed by the communist government, my songs and my name are censored on chinese internet pressured by the Chinese Government sponsored have pulled out, Even International brands have kept their distances. For the past five years and more so recently china tried to smear and silence me with their propaganda machines spreading false claims. Right now i am facing threats from pro beijing supporters and could face arrest and prosecution at any time. Not only have i faced difficulties in both china and hong kong, but the selfcensorship has spread towards global institutions and cities. Recently the National Gallery of victoria in melbourne, australia, denied a venue to an event of chinese artists due to security concerns. Celebrities from hong kong, taiwan and china are all pressured into voicing their unanimous support for the beijing government and could be condemned for keeping their silence. Hong kongers are not living in a constant fear and have unfortunately lost most of our freedoms. For a city that has been famously known as politically indifferent the younger generations have took up the road to safeguard our home, standing up courageously to the corrupt 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 defer what we have in common is the pursuit for justice, freedom and democracy. Through the challenges of hong kong the west is also waking up to the to chinas insinuating power in a global scale. Hong kong is connected to the world in multiple ways but china is trying to isolate it to expert control. If hong kong falls it would easily become the spring bot for the totalitarian regime of china to push its rules and priorities overseas. Utilizing its economic powers to conform others to their communist values, just as they have done with hong kong with the past 22 years. The u. S. And its allies have everything to fear if they wish to maintain a world that is free, open and civil. I therefore urge the u. S. Congress to stand by hong kong and most of all to pass the hong kong human rights and democracy act. This is not the plea for the socalled foreign interference. This is a plea for democracy. This is a plea for the freedom to choose. And lastly i would like to quote Eleanor Roosevelt your most beloved first lady, you gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are 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 University Values that we all cherish and among could think in the very front lines this have fight. We are once fearful of what might have come with our silence and for that we have now become fearless. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you. Mr. Cheung, welcome. Chairman mcgovern, cochairman rubio and members of the committee, thank you for your invitation to this hearing. Last year chinese president xi jinping sat in a meeting that china would never embrace the independence. This is why people in hong kong are trying hard to reject the extradition bill bus we do not believe in a country who looks down on human rights disqualifying our legislators and kidnapping our book sellers. We want to protect our legal system as the last barrier against beijings political interference. Asking for the withdrawal of the bill hong kong people also demand for an investigation into Police Brutality to save hong kong from turning into a police state. More importantly, with he demand for the universal suffrage, we believe that without any structural political reform in a governments chosen by the people there is no possibility for hong kong to restore prosperity. We cannot have a society compromising the interests of individuals, the voice of these people should always be heard. Unfortunately our government ignores our demands by saying that we have no stake in the society. Union members are detained, followed, bitten and threatened. One of our Student Union members were told by the police that it was reasonable for them to rape some female protester when they previously worked overtime. Besides, the authority tries to stop us for having peaceful strike with more than 50,000 students participating. People who side with beijing are advocating to restore civilian cameras inside the classroom to monitor teachers and students who dare to support the movement. This apparently violates our Academic Freedom and freedom of speech. This is the terror created by the beijing government which should be alerted by all people here. Nowadays students and hong kong people are ready to die for hong kong and some already did. We believe that the only limits to their freedom is their death. This is the ultimate sacrifice for the mother land and we must not forget them. Many students face strong objection from their family, some of them are even forced to leave home but stay still true to the front line, carrying a ladder with their last will. They are determined. They understand thats the price of freedom is high, it always has been, but it is a price they are willing to pay and it is a part of liberation they are willing to choose. We do not fight for freedom out of passion, passion will burn out, we fight for dignity. China is rising, china is using its nationalism to small countries and put intense pressure on people and Companies Like who do not conform to them. Teachers, students, civil servants, businessmen are all facing political pressure in hong kong. This new form of imperialism in china poses a threat to hong kong. This is a clash of systems. One country two system will expire in 2047. 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 current session to all individuals who infringe on our human rights. For every, universal suffrage cannot be achieved. Our autonomy 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 acknowledge the special status of hong kong. U. S. Must send a strong signal that this special status should be canceled if hong kong lost its autonomy in order to put pressure on china, otherwise china will keep taking advantage of hong kongs International Society but hollow out our values. Such an assertive policy its demonstrated that america will no longer tolerate totalitarianism. We will fight for democracy and freedom. As Thoms Jefferson once said that he would be forever against any form of tyranny and i believe this is a time for americans to stand with hong kong. Thank you. Thank you. [ applause ] ms. Ho, welcome. Thank you. Chairman, mcgovern, cochair rubio and members of the commission thank you for this opportunity. Its an honor to san in solidarity with the front line activists i want to thank the Commission Members for their critical support for the hong kong people and your leadership on the hong kong human rights and democracy act and protect hong kong act. Over the past three months the world has witnessed the historic david and dlooit standoff and against all odds the hong kong people are standing up to the powerful authoritarian regime in beijing. They are not only fighting for the democratic future of 7. 4 million hong kong people but they are holding the regional and global front line on preserving Human Dignity and rights for all people. As congressman mcgovern has mentioned the past summer of discontent is part of years of ongoing resistance by the hong kong people against beijings encroachment on hong kongs economy, rights and freedom. The 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 central sites democracy activists left a promise inscribed on the concrete sidewalks. We will return. They have kept that promise. Instead of beijings hope for movement fatigue the protest supported by unflagging solidarity and broad diverse participation of Hong Kong Society are moving into the 15th week pressing for five nonnegotiable demands. The out of control lawless actions of the Hong Kong Police have provided mobilization fuel for hong kong people to add oil. As chairman mao said wherever there is persist ans there is resistance. Anyone who crushes a Student Movement will not have a good ending. The 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 not only is one country two systems 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 pronouncements lemgt mizes the subordination of law to the leadership of the party. The reintroduction of the article 23 legislation thats in the works in hong kong will inevitably carry imprints of the partys concepts of National Security. Second 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, foreign business and the International Community 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 existing human rights mechanisms and restricting the participation of independent civil society. This cuts hong kong people as well as human rights defenders on the mainland in tibetan and weaker communities from the Key International flat forms available to press for accountability. With this instead of the wests hope for convergence china is not only playing by the rules it is vocally and persistently asserting a set of rel tafist viet i cant that it 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 ecosac committee of the u. N. And gongos who do not face any oess such as the interruptions of denise hos recent intervention at the Human Rights Council, the intervention by patsy ho the representative of the Hong Kong Federation of women is illustrative. She defended the governments handling of the pro tess but accused the protesters of Child Exploitation an more. Patsy ho cochairman and director of macaw casino operation and is also a Standing Committee member of the beijing municipal committee. Because i am out of time i want to really take the time to jump ahead to the problem of a in addition to the Disinformation Campaign including the egregious use by the china daily on 9 11 of a photo depicting the destruction of the world trade towers to warn of terrorist attacks by hong kong protestors, beijing is advancing a narrative of violence to frame the hong kong protest that is echoed uncritically by the International Community. Within this framework the Hong Kong Police protected in full Tactical Gear armed with rubber bullets, guns, tear gas, pepper spray and batons is presented as one side of an he is clagd violence, clashes with civilian protesters. Hence we hear both sides calls to deescalate but this deflects attention away from Police Accountability for its excessive use of force and complicit with nonstate violence. Moreover, the narrow violence framing of the situation on the ground is marginalizing the proliferation of diverse, creative and peaceful protests by the hong kong people including by students in boycotts, elderly citizens, silver haired volunteers protecting the children actions. Hong kong people singing in the malls, in the metro stations, in neighborhood gatherings, shouting the 10 00 p. M. Shouts of slogans echoing throughout the neighborhoods in hong kong and forming human chains, creating lennon walls and last friday was mid autumn festival and a small familyowned bakery made moon cakes with protest slogans. In typical humorous hong kong fashion hong kongers are creating art. This is whats happening on the ground. Hong kong people are practicing democracy and exercising their freedoms for as long as possible. Hong kongers are making the road by walking it, that is the real revolution already under way. Thank you again and i look forward to your questions. Thank you very much. Dr. Garrett, thank you for coming and we welcome your testimony. Thank you. Good morning, chairman mcgovern and rubio, distinguished members of the commission, it is an honor and privilege to talk with you regarding the Chinese Communist partys ee lotion of one country two systems in hong kong under the predict of National Security and its nexus to the extradition bill crisis. Five key observations backgrounds of the current conflict and the one country two systems crisis. First, todays one country two systems is not the same as the notion that peaceful coexistence between the communists and hong kong systems. Instead it has been replaced by xi jinpings new era one country two systems model embracing political struggle and foregrounding chinese National Security as the paramount lens for the special Administrative Region an implementing one country two systems. Rather than a confidence building mechanism ensuring peaceful coexistence it is intended to sovereignty, security and development interests. Two, this new area one country two systems model is informed by kpi jinpings three major dangers and National Security chinese characteristics. The former communist chinese at eminent risk of being invaded, toppled and sabotaged, thereby leading to the dee kralg of chinas rise, socialist modernization in the one country two systems policy. The latter dramatically broadens the notion of chinese National Security and radically expands the scope of chinese authorities prerogatives in administering one country two systems. Consequently it significantly erodes the special Administrative Regions high degree of autonomy. Widens the threat to u. S. Citizens and National Interests in hong kong. Third, under xi jinpings security paradigms and one country two systems model hong kongers have been as mortal threats to the partys state and removed from positions of political party. Ee llcs have been partially if you will need. Hong kongers disenfranchised and terrorized with real and rhetorical political violence. The promise of hong kong people ruling hong kong has been replaced with the attorney cal role of patriots. Cultural revolution like mass line and united front campaigns targeting democrats, localists and western niced hong kongers have swept repeated by over the last several years. Four, since at least 2012 hong and one country two systems have been perceived as the weakest links in the National Security state. For chinese authorities both are they forefront of ideological confrontation with the United States and the west. A new cold war in their terms. 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 hanover and that china had to rethink how to rule the enclave. An influential adviser to senior chinese authorities said hong kong faced a society wide long term struggle to eradicate the party states enemies in the city. That would involve rectifying the judiciary, legislature, media, secondary schools and universities. Chinese and special Administrative Regions efforts to impose the communist legal, political and social norms on hong kong via the extradition law and unprecedent violence suppression of protests have provoked the most severe crisis of one country two systems. As hong kongers fight for endangered freedoms, identity and way of life. This is not an anomaly, it is the chinese governance crisis involving one country two systems since 2003. And the fifth thing xi jinping took control of hong kong affairs. Seeking to broaden beijings powers, its socalled comprehensive jurisdiction and hong kong and to roll back hong kongers high degree of autonomy, liberal freedoms and limited democracy by forcibly transforming hong kongers into a Chinese Communist city while maintaining a veneer of no changes. My next few observations will quickly touch upon the extradition law nexus to National Security. Senior chinese officials have described the battle, extradition battle as a battle of life and death and as a battle to defend hong kong. A decisive war defending one country two systems are jeopardizing it. Since xi jinping came to power National Security is now a mandatory obligation for people in the Hong Kong Sar. This was never written in the original basic law. This has been done post fact toe since 2012. Early in the extradition law saga senior chinese leaders have made extraordinary endorsements of the extradition law expressing their full support. This included two committee members, the head of the state councils hong kong and macaw Affairs Office and the chief to Hong Kong Sar liaison office. There are also indication that is president xi jinping is a member of the ken tropical Coordination Group has weighed in. An influence united front commentator has also observed if it were not for the full support of the Central Government the legislation would have been aborted. Chief executive carrie lam recently lamented in a leaked speech since the issue had been elevated to one of National Security and sovereignty it has stripped her of any solutions or room for political maneuver. Another source explained because the elab involved a relation state Highway Patrol with the Central Government and the implementation of the basic law it was not a matter entirely within the autonomy of the special Administrative Region government. This touches upon the hong kongers five demands as well as u. S. Policy towards hong kong. National security norms in hong kong constitute is violation of article 5 of the basic law prohibiting the introduction to socialist system in the territory. Moreover, the partys application of its National Security with chinese characteristics mandates and loyalty expectations to the special Administrative Region and civil search ants effectively dissolves any difference between the communist and hong kong systems thereby posing a significant threat to u. S. Interests related to protection of sensitive technologies and add hoo earns to export controls. My last two comments before i submit the rest of my testimony, the Hong Kong Police force has been militarized and nationalized by the Chinese Communist party effectively becoming its little gun in the Administrative Region. Since the beginning of 2019 Mainland Police have been tasked with preventing encountering color revolutions. Chinas Public Security minister ordered police to firmly fight to protect chinas political security, defend its National Security and the leadership of the communist party. Earlier Hong Kong Police received similar National Security tasking from vice the vice premiere who in august of 2018 charged them to firmly and effectively safeguard chinas National Security and rule of law by accurately and comprehensively implementing one country two systems. Also according to a vicechairman of the Chinese Association of hong kong studies the Hong Kong Police were on the forefront when it came to curbing hong kong independence which meant their duty was not just to maintain public order but to defend National Security, too. Chinese chief executive carrie lam in a leaked speech also iterated that the Hong Kong Police were the only solution that they currently persist in dealing with the extradition process. In no small way the Hong Kong Police have become the special Administrative Regions Peoples Armed police. My last comment, chinese authorities have dedicated significant academic, legal, propaganda and united front resources to systematically manipulating and recasting content and understandings of the basic law in one country two systems to accommodate kpi jinpings National Security mandates, logics and outlook. The Chinese Association of hong kong mau kau studies association a shadowy Political Warfare think tank connected to the state councils Affairs Office is one of these new subversive vehicles. A network of party state basic law experts and scholars some attached to National Peoples congress Standing Committee have contributed significantly to the erosion of one country two systems policy. Informed central authorities understandings of the actual situation in the region. All these united front are key players in the emotion of hong kongs freedoms and democracy and enablers of state tyranny. Thank you. Thank you very much. I will save my questions to the end and yield to the cochair, senator rubio. I will ask one questions because i know members have places to go and i want them to get in on this. Sort of the key issue before us is autonomy. If you go back in 2014 they took away universal suffrage from the chief executive, in 2016 or 17 they disqualified six democratic lawmakers from Council Seats using a controversial interpretation of the Hong Kong Institution and then in 2019 this effort at the extradition bill. Into i question is how would you describe the state of hong kong autonomy today . During the last congressional hearing i strongly aware how one country two systems eroded to be one country one and a half system but the reason political crisis by how hong kong and beijing government turned such a global city into the police state with more violence and terror, i would describe now as the collapse of one country two system and also we are facing the under the current constitutional framework. I think now is also the time and the reason we should hope to seek for bipartisan support, support hong kongs should not be the matter of left or right issued by the matter of right or wrong. So on a more cultural and social context, there is an immense fear among the people to speak their minds, which is a result of how the businesses and the government institutions they have put pressure on to their employees or the people to keep their mouths shut basically. And so this has a huge impact on the economy because without this freedom of speech its very difficult for the economy and also the society to thrive because in a sense we are already in what of a china situation where people would fear for their safety if they spoke out about their political stance. Just for an example there has been enough an official hong kong anthem recently that has been written by an anonymous songwriter and they have opted to keep their anonymity because if they have shown their faces then most probably they would have been arrested or prosecuted because on claims of national threats, National Security threats. So thats basically the sentiment on the grounds for hong kong people. Last year the publish a report concerns that hong kong is becoming more likely like any other chinese city and that means that our autonomy is already gone and actually even the uscc has issued a report proclaiming that the autonomy of hong kong is already in danger. In uk when i met some politicians i would tell them that the Chinese Government already signed a petition declaration and thats why i would say the autonomy of hong kong is already bad and thats why we urge the u. S. Government and other countries try to help wi hong kong passing the human rights and democracy act and you can pass the act in other countries to let other free world countries to stand with hong kong. The economy, senator rubio, question is extremely important because post 1989 that was a decision that was made by the communist party. Were going to go forth pack into market and economic reforms, but absolutely no political reforms. This has been echoed by the chief executive. When she endlessly has been having these ridiculous press conferences where she says nothing but thing she does say is we need to restore the economy, we need to restore economic order and completely ignoring the structural political issues that is causing a lot of 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 tie coons and probably the try adds were doing quite well but not the majority of thong could think people. We have the housing problem, education problem, problem of the elderly with not adequate care and so forth in health care. The economy wasnt delivering and i think what needs to happen, yes, there should be a renewal of the economy but its going to be an economy that works for all the people. If i could pick up quickly on the reference to autonomy, autonomy what it means for the communist party is we only need to look at the socalled autonomous regions in tibet and sin judge. What autonomy means is no cultural, no language, no history, no right to believe or practice your faith under rul onwhich is an oxymoron. Their understanding of autonomy even extends to past this life, as you know, the party is trying to now control reincarnatiorein. So they also are trying to impose a notion of cheeinesenes. Kpi jinpings notion of chineseness under the chinese dream and what is chinese but hong kongers are quite complex, there is a history and language and culture and i think hong kongers are going and are negotiating what it means to be a hong kongers, whether it includes being chinese, does it mean that. I think thats what it means to be fre. The right to decide and determine in this complex way what does it mean to be who we are. And that is absolutely antithetical to the dna of the communist party and its notion of autonomy because it doesnt exis exist. Thank you. The rule of patriots in hong kong basically means that there is no substantive high degree of autonomy. Basically under xi jinping a democratic centralism is practiced, they may solicit input from the Hong Kong Government but once beijing makes a decision the sar government has to implement it. Building on dr. Homs comments, National Identity is a National Security issue for the communist party in hong kong and they believe that one of the major this goes back to 2007 within they told the Hong Kong Government on the tenth anniversary that the sar government had to create a new generation of hong kongers who loved one country two systems, who loved china. That the recovery of hong kong would not be complete until hong kongers identified with china, with communist china. This also touches on kpi jinpings Chinese Communist identity politics which is attempting to rehabilitation the spoiled image of the communist party and spoiled image of being a communist. This is why we start seeing laws protecting the national anthem, martyrs and so forth like this and so in hong kong which has been historically anticommunist to a large degree there is this effort related to the Extradition Campaign to eradicate anticommunist sentiment and forces. With regards to autonomy, because the belt and Road Initiative and the greater bay area initiatives are could he to chinas Development Program right now and because the Central Government believes that the major impediment to hong kong signing on and strongly supporting these programs has been the two systems, has been its democracy and freedoms, it is looking to restrict those in order to force the sar government to support these programs. Once again in closing i would say there is no substantive autonomy. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Swazee. Thank you, mr. Chairman and chairman rubio for holding this hearing. Thank you Ranking Member smith for the work you have done on this issue for so many years. Thank you not witnesses. We are grateful to all of you for the information youve given us here today and for shining a light on this. We sit here in this chamber, its very calm, its very safe, its very sterile and youre bringing to life whats going on in real peoples lives. You talk about a 12yearold being arrested and we hear the idea that someone gets pepper spray sprayed into their wound, when we hear about peoples heads being smashed into the concrete and getting concussions and we hear about the rubber bullets and the tear gas, People Living in fear on a regular basis for standing up for speaking their minds. Here in the United States of america we believed for since nixon went to china that the 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 if they saw saptlism, saw democracy, sooner o later they would become more and more like us and we now know that thats not at all the case. Whether the hearings weve healed about the uighurs or the hearings about tibet or hong kong, we know that we talk about hong kong as being one country, two systems its really one world with two models and the request is he which model is going to win, is it going to be the model we promote in the United States with the rule of law and freedom of expression or daem raes or is it going to be authoritarianism and the powerful forces of the government doing what ever they want. Youre right in the middle of that challenge right now so were grateful to all of you. Im concerned about the timing of things right now. You know, were pushing to get this bill passed here in the congress, but right now weve got i think you talked about it, joshua, the national day in china is coming up on october 1st and im concern about what Mainland Chinas actions are going to be in relation to that and whether there will be more violence will result because they try to flex their authority and id like to hear each of you talk about that. The second thing im concerned about are the local elections coming up in november and i want to hear about from you about the whether you believe that there is an opportunity here for the people of hong kong to express themselves or is there being or is mainland trying to 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 all of you. The third timing is lets say a magic wand was all of a sudden waved and mainland chain said we are going to support the idea of there being elections in the future in hong kong for the leader instead of carrie lam being appointed to an election by the people. That couldnt happen right away it would take some time. Lets try to keep it brief, i know i talked a lot myself and used up a i lot of time, but please just 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 there would be universal suffrage. Apart from troops that were already moved to the border a few weeks ago thats the tactics for to generate the chilling effect. We are strongly aware of how carrie lam the leader of hong kong openly declared she is considering to impose emergency ordinance in hong kong to stop the protests. Emergency ordinance is the colonial era law similar as martial law. It authorized the power for chief executive of hong kong to shut down the internet, cut the public transport and even the air traffic. With he all know political crisis must solve by political system reform thats the reason we urged beijing not to hand pick the leader and draw the right of free election but they coined that and consider to use this kind of martial law before or after the Chinese National day. I think thats the reason, not only People Defense on human rights must care about, even businessman that focus on enjoying Economic Freedom and open business. They should aware on how hong kong is not only on the brink of its also under the threat of those martial law and white terror. So i really hope to have bipartisan support to pass the hong kong human rights and democracy act. After whats hang before. The upcoming he had auto leks schedule on 24 of november. With the track record of how beijing democratic elected lawmaker on early last year we strongly expect and aware that beijing will still keep its hard line policy to hong kong and to black to run for office. As the with unwho engaged in strict activism i also hope the wars of our generation could be heard inside the institution and at the same time im also will make sure the announcements in the late september or early october for myself will run for office under District Council. If beijing government ban me to run for office they need to pay the price on hong kong on hong kong protests and in the International Communities. In a hong kong there are many Democrat Particulars and many pro beijing folks. Is there a chance that that could change, that dynamic could change because of the protests that are going on. In District Council we have 4 a 5 2 seats and more than 75 of the seats are mostly dominated by pro beijing camp. On 24 of november we hope pro democratic camp can get a good turnout to show the power of people. I just want to emphasize the timing coming up. October 1st and november 24 are big 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 cashes k. , of that. Personally i dont into he will 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 creativity and the flex ability 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 on the side of how the communist government they would be suppressing us even 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 Commanders have been heard talking mandarin to their officers. So on this note i believe that hong kong people are already facing this sort of infiltration of the Chinese Police into the Hong Kong Police force. Are you concerned about it escalating around national day . Well, i mean, its already on a daily basis this sort of escalation where the police have patrolling the streets, people are arrested, you know, just for being young really. So i think we are already at that stage and so, you know, that is why we call for the u. S. Congress and also International Communities to monitor this regime that is the xi jinping regime because we in hong kong we are protecting these values that we all believe in and if we fail then lord knows what would happen to the world and to the next stage. Thank you. Sonny. Thank you for your question. Personally i think on the national day actually there will be more escalation on the movement and 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 protesters 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 about the Chinese Government use the emergency law or sent out the poa to come to hong kong. Currently china relies on hong kong very much, many Foreign Investment from china are still coming from hong kong and thats why once they have deployed the poa or try to use emergency law to crack down on hong kong protesters i think this is not very promising for hong kong people and for the beijing government and beijing government will not do Something Like that i feel. Sharon, if you could talk about the elections a little bit als also. A couple things that hasnt been raised in addition to the question of infiltration and use of decoys, last august 2018 the peoples daily announced the establishment of the Greater Bay Area Police cooperation mechanism. Related to in part of this mechanism the Public Security department conducted training of key Hong Kong Police personnel. This has been followed up on. And one of the questions i think is important to press either through the u. N. Systems is to raids the question of really what kind of training. Im pretty sure that the training did not include International Standards on appropriate use of force and the special procedures of the u. N. Special experts just last week issued a joint statement about concern and also raising these questions of the need to make the police, the Hong Kong Police, there are very sophisticated detailed standards on the use of force that youre supposed to deescalate not escalate, you are supposed to reduce harm not create harm and that already as a whole range of Police Crowd Control mechanisms and they are supposed to choose according to proportionality. So i wanted to just emphasize that. On the timing of national day, i think we cant lose sight of the fact that xi jinping is not as powerful as we may think or as he would like us to think. And that it is true that with the consolidation of power, et cetera, et cetera, and his no term limit now both of the key positions the fact is if you look a little more closely is that the Party Leaders inside are not happy with the way that xi jinping has, quote, handled the hong kong situation and how do we know this . We know this because carrie lam the chief executive on a monday, i believe, said, no, no, no, no. No withdraw. No. No. No. Et cetera, et cetera, i withdrew it no formal. Two days later that kind of disingenuous explanation i have heard the hong kong people, for goodness sakes its been three months, if you cant hear two million, three Million People why in two days did she suddenly say i will now formally so xi jinping is actually in a lose lose situation, its a no win situation. He is stuck between the hardliners who i am pretty much concerned about are pushing for military force because he has already shown hes failed. Dung jing thing took two months shut down the democracy and free trade movement. We are now in the Third Movement so under the partys time frame on how you can handle these mass disputes he has failed. He is in a pretty dicey situation. October 1st this is not any anniversary. This is the 70th anniversary. So they have invest add years worth of enormous investment in film festival, special documentaries made. They have said that no chinese documentaries in the chinese tv recently they have to show the history, et cetera. There is an enormous amount of investment to keep the legitimacy and have a wonderful Birthday Celebration for the country. So hes stuck. It cant look bad, on the other hand hes stuck between the hardliners and the others who are saying theres got to be a way to handle this. Not the way youre doing it because now we look terrible, now we look like the thugs we are and so i think that that is what we should be monitoring are the messages and just last week a very strange editorial appeared in one of the major party organs and the editorial pointed out something very strange. It said whether a countrys 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 . We dont know. Because just the fact that the constitution eliminated the term limits for the top office doesnt mean he will stay. So i think there are some other wild cards that are on the table that we need to keep an eye on in terms of how the u. S. Government can think about the options and policy options. Of course, we support the legislative initiatives. This is very important, but i think theres something much bigger under way in terms of the politics in beijing that will absolutely have an impact on the decisions that will be made preoctober 1st and after. Thank you. Ive taken up too much time. You want to let dan go . All right. Why dont we hold and well go to senator young . I just have a statement to make and i regret ill have to leave after this, but i wanted to say thank you, mr. Wong and thank you, miss ho for your resolve and the face of great trial and tribulation. Thank you for the example you are setting for the world, and for all that youre doing for freedomloving peoples. I want to send a message to beijings communists, and my message is you cannot have it both ways. You cannot seek to trade with the wealthy nations of the world and rip off our intellectual property. You cannot 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 of the economic benefits that you enjoy under american law, of hong kongs special status while undermining your rights as hong kong commerce while eradicating your political identity. We cannot allow this to happen. So i look forward to working with you. I will be signing on to the legislation offered by the cochairmen of this committee as you have encouraged us to do so, and ill be seeking other opportunities perhaps in the immigration area to provide further relief to hong kongers who do not want to be a part of this predatory regime that calls itself communist, but, in fact, is really fascist in many respects. And we must continue to press it to change its behavior. Thank you so much for your presence here. Thank you. Mr. Smith . Thank you, mr. Chairman. There is no disputing the fact that under xi gin bing human right abuses have seriously worsened. You named the area from torture, religious freedom and you talked about the religions where every single religion or faith including the fall of gong and christians, the tibet an buddhists and the uighurs all have to haembrace the communist model or they face torture and 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 there is a reversal of this trend. On human trafficking, the Trump Administration has designated china as a tier 3 country because of sex and trafficking and it has gotten worse over the last six years. Every place you look it is worse. Xi jinping is bringing dishonor to himself and his government with his abuse of people and we have to say that loud and clear. The great father of democracy weijinshon and which the Chinese Government didnt get and they rearrested him and beat him almost senseless. He said you westerners dont get it. You do coddle dictatorship and you do allow and enable with your weakness and you have to look at a dictatorship in the eye and say were not kidding. Human rights either being occurs or we will not trade with you and allowing you to use that economic power that you get to further repress. The lessons of the soviet union were not learned when it came to china. I was in moscow and leningrad on behalf of soviet jews and the Reagan Administration said human rights matter and it did matter and thankfully, we saw a change, of course, under putin. Its still bad, but not as bad as it was during those years. I raise all of that because when it came to china, we have not learned the lessons of conditionality with regards to human rights, and i say that with sadness. With great sadness. When we did the comprehensive antiapartheid act in 1986, not only did i vote for it, but we said this egregious behavior will not be tolerated and therefore we hold you to account and therefore no longer provide munitions which i cosponsored and would seek to do with the police that was section 317, i believe, of that bill and you might want to speak to that, but weve got to be serious about all of this, and i just bring this up because it deeply concerns me that we just keep not learning the lessons. Nancy pelosi, frank wolf and david bonier all opposed for china after Tiananmen Square. George Herbert Walker bush, he was our ambassador to china and as it turned out we managed it extraordinarily poorly. Bill clinton came in and he said lets link human rights with mfn trade and one year later he delinked it and the Lesson Learned by the dictatorship in beijing was profits trump human rights. We now, and i have tried for five years to get my bill passed and our bill as a collective bill, house and senate, bipartisan and the same people who said just trade more and china would matriculate from dictatorship, and if it wasnt for the great people of hong kong standing up for the great loss of their liberty, going to prison, being arrested and being harassed and eaven killed and tortured this Congress Needs to wake up and say finally at long last we will put conditionality on this. So if you want to speak to that, i would appreciate it. There have been a thousand arrests since the activities occurred. What is the status of the prosecutions . Joshua, we know your case, but there are many other cases that are in obscurity right now. What is happening to those individuals and just generally on the police, are the police largely newer recruits who are more ideologically aligned with beijing or are they the old hands who have just now become even more than they have been in the past. If you could speak to those things, i would appreciate it. With more than 1500 hong kongers arrested in the past three months more than 300 of them were prosecuted already. Im one of them, and we are also aware of some of those activists who were already detained inside prison before any trial started and thats the rule of law and the Hong Kong Style legal system under the pressure of beijing. Ive been arrested and prosecuted with the charges of the Assembly Even after the experience of being held for 120 days the price i paid is a piece of cake because my teammate, more than a hundred of them faced charges and may be in prison for more than ten years. Five years ago during the rally movement we were just arrested by Unlawful Assembly for months or maybe one to two years in jail, and at the young age of 15 they should enjoy their summer holiday. They should spend the time more time on Summer Vacation with their friends and family and now theyre the ones being prosecuted and they need to face a trial and maybe from 15 or 16 at the age to the golden year. Maybe theyre already in prison. Also we have activists who fight for hong kongs freedom, and some face six years in prison. Apart from the massive arrests and prosecution, it seems to be the tactics for beijing to silence our voice, but they keep our momentum and just like two weeks ago, more than 1,000 hong kongers urged to pass the bill and to show the global solidarity. We are also aware that the cabinet of the chief executive which means the council last week openly declared the hong kong chief executive to employ the secret police. Secret police are not the terms created by activists or created by journalists. It is the terms written in the current ordinance and regulation. It could authorize the power for hong kong chief executive to appoint anyone, no matter if they live in hong kong, live in mainland or they have any kind of background, they could be appointed to be the Hong Kong Police force and could use force to crack down on the from tests and thats why we would describe hong kong as a police state. I would like to add to the fact that among those that have been arrested and charged for riot, a lot of them have been on the sites, but they have not been in the front lines and they were just near the front lines and some of them have been first aiders who have been helping other people and have been getting up from the sites, social workers and the 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 legislators arrested. 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 also with money, its everywhere, really. Its 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 chinese artists for for fear of being associated with us, and also in canada where hong kong activists have been banned from gay pride because of security concerns, so they say, and so the fact that as the communist government, they use this sort of the money where the brands and businesses, they would be adding this sort of suppression on to their employees and other 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 prosecuted for riot or Unlawful Assembly. I would like to supplement what she just mentioned about the problematic law. Actually, they have denied the public order ordinance which is the colonial law in hong kong. The department of justice and police force in hong kong can use this public order ordinance to prosecute the protesters in an easy way. One means the doj, the department of justice or the police force they try to use the ordinance to prosecute the protester and then actually it is very difficult for them to be guilty. Thats why this law should be abolished by the government and we urge that actually the International Society should also be aware about this law, and apart from that, i had experience and i had a personal experience that a kid of i had a kid and he was arrested during the movement and when that kid was arrested he immediately asked the Police Official officer to ask him, can he call his lawyer, and the Police Officer, they told him that, of course, you cant because i want to torture you because i want to make you suffer. And this Police Officer said Something Like that to a kid who is just 18. Thats the real situation in hong kong and thats why many people are frustrated and anger about the Police Brutality problem. The prosecution is related to not only the imposition of the public order, but ordinance. It has to be an Unlawful Assembly. So the way of the notice of no objection process contributes to that, thats the tool and the tool is hong kongers 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 of a Peaceful Assembly and that is to protest police violence. So you have the police denying the no assembly and therefore making it an Unlawful Assembly for an assembly that is to protest police violence. So thats really important that through this kind of misuse of that process, they are really violating International Standards for Peaceful Assembly by imposing this kind of unduly, restrictive, administrative procedure. The police, under this procedure, then can act rampantly as both enforcement, prosecutor because theyre naming this saying this is a riot, but a riot is a Legal Process and its for the court to bring evidence and its for the court to see if this person engaged in illegal behavior and violent, et cetera. Right now the police are asking as enforcement, prosecution and executioner of orders and that is part of the problem with looking at, when we talk about on top of that, we have politicized Decision Making by the prosecution. This was also noted by independent u. N. Experts maybe two years ago saying that they were concerned about a potential pattern of politicized decisions that were being made and who to prosecute and who to pursue. There is an issue regarding whether or not how congress can get a fair trial in hong kong in the future and a large reason for this is the heavy amount of propaganda coming from the central peoples government, whether it is in Chinese State media organizations or it is in socalled mainstream organization who quote them and cite them ubiquitously. So when the regime, the chinese regime characterized demonstrators as separatists, extremists, terrorists. This is already setting an expectation for the hong kong judiciary to act, and not as well as Law Enforcement, and not only in the charges that they decide to lay against a protester, but also the sentences that theyre trying to get after people. The probeijing united Front Movement in hong kong has been very aggressive in attacking judges that they feel have been too lenient that go back a number of years and they refer them to the yellow ribbons from the umbrella revolution. Theres been threats made by probeijing people towards the judiciary in general that have gone unprosecuted. So this is a real issue. Also because the 2016 intervention by the National Peoples congress theres an expectation that hong kong judges have to uphold the National Security of the communist party. So if you render a decision as inconsistent with the National Security expectation you may be vulnerable to disqualification. This has not happened, but this is the logic thats being used to disqualify candidates of the District Council and so forth. Regarding the police, touching on sharons comments earlier. The police went to shenzhen as observers to handle quote, unquote, mass incidents and there was very little visibility in that. We know that the pla in hong kong has some interaction with them and the Garrison Commander observed some of them passing out in parades and so forth like that, but one of the most dangerous and i think, 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. You can be grabbed from your home, nobodys showing you any type of form or identification. You dont know if theyre a Police Officer, a triador anyone from the mainland kidnapping you. This is a main issue. For the communist party they view Law Enforcement as their concept of rule of law or rule by law, and so the support, basically, the Hong Kong Police have been given Carte Blanche to do whatever they want and as carrie lam said before, Hong Kong Police are seen as the last line in this. The police issue is a major problem in hong kong. Senator king . Mr. Chairman, mr. Adams was here long before i arrived so i defer to him. Go ahead. Thank you. Thank you, senator. Today marks a significant day in the United States history and it was 232 years ago on this very day that our forefathers signed the United States constitution. So its with should significance that we welcome you here today to the United States congress, the house and the senate to share your testimonies and as you share in the struggle, the global struggle of humanity for freedom and independence. So that constitution signed 232 years ago today created a federal system one with the senate and the house and they created two branches the government and the legislative branch and a Judicial Branch and its an outgrowth of that system as are two Political Parties that oftentimes also struggle for ideas to move forward. It created a system of a federal system of now 50 states that also theres a healthy tension, sometimes unhealthy, but there is a tension against that system as we struggle to move forward ideas and the rule of law. One thing that i think is important to note, though, that we all stand together. This is a legislative and executive branch that we stand together, republicans and democrats in support of the struggle for human rights, for the rule of law and for freedom for hong kong, and i would echo the sentiments that were expressed earlier that you cannot we cannot have it both ways and we cannot have a rule of law and human rights and the struggle for freedom with the actions that we see that are undermining the very nature of that system in hong kong today. So its incredibly troubling to me to see what we have seen play out over the last six months and forecasting into the future some of the efforts to undermine the sanctuaries of democracy and human rights that we see right now. So some of those sanctuaries and foundations of freedom, as weve seen in the United States and we also see in hong kong the freedom of democracy and government through elections and the freedom of academia and for ideas to thrive in an academic system and the Economic Freedom for individuals and economic competition, and rule of law where every individual is treated firly a treated fairly and equally under the law and human rights are protected. So my concern and what i would love for you to comment on is where we go from here and with some very troubling signs on the horizon. So id like you to comment on mr. Wong, let me commend all of you who are examples and the founders of freedom whose names i hope will be remembered 232 years from now in the struggle for freedom in hong kong, but mr. Wong, miss ho, mr. Chung and miss hom for your struggles in hong kong. First of all, mr. Wong, the struggle in elections for individuals to step forward, im over the last several years the government, as you referenced has repeatedly rejected the candidates running for Political Office who have been supported or affiliated with selfdetermination. What challenges does that impose today for individuals that are willing to put themselves and their names forward. Taking that same look at the foundations of freedom of thought and academia. What support do academic institutions give to students as they raise their voices in support of intellectual freedom and human rights and also to the economy and free economy as businesses miss ho, i believe, as you spoke about some of the concerns with Cathay Pacific and efforts that underline individuality and freedom of thought in the marketplace of ideas and the workplace. What is happening in these respective fears of democracy and how can we best support freedom of thought . So just let me explain whats on the mind of the young generation. In the past few years after the end of the movement, the young have [ indiscernible ] they hope their voice can be heard inside the institution and on the street, joining protests and its for us to push forward political system and election reform. Unfortunately, with that political censorship, i will run for office and i will run in late september or early october and how beijing hoped to bar the whole generation of youngster to enter the institution, but it is luck they with the determination and courage of hong kongers, they just turned the whole generation of youngster to be dissidents and not only the generation of baby boomers and even the generation of genx or millennials and they join with solidarity and unity. So i will make it clear. We are not only suffering from the political crisis and also a humanitarian crisis and how they suppress us and the Sexual Harassment experienced by young ladies arrest or how an injured protester would be put down by the ambulance by the riot police directly or how an arrested person is really difficult for them and being refused to contact a law yore yer or seeki medical attention. It is my generation and the generation younger than me no matter on the street or get inside an institution, we will keep on together with this uphill battle and we hope that the u. S. Congress can stand with hong kong. Ill go. Ill go. So, yes, on the cultural side, and also on the freedom of thought side of things, it has been 90 of it and 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 a very small handful of actors and singers have spoken up for these movements and the rest of the celebrities, they have kept their silence and they have been forced into participating in these support campaigns on social media and 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 and censored like people like us. Businesses, of course, they have been pressured also into obstructing these freedoms of ho hong kongers namely our subway system and they have closed down stations in times of protest. Therefore, making it very easy for the police to arrest people and also very difficult for the people to leave the sites and that was a result of i believe there was an article that was in the peoples daily, the state newspaper where they have named the mtro corporation saying that they have been helping the people. So i do think that in a free society these businesses and corporations, they do have an obligation and a social responsibility to keep up this kind of integrity to at least to safeguard our freedoms which they have failed to do so and right now i do not have much solutions to the problems, and aside from the people protesting these businesses, they are exercising their suppression on to their people. So we hope that this hong kong human rights and democracy act with these sanctions on the government officials and hopefully, if this could extend to these operations who have been violating the basic law and the freedom of speech of the people and hopefully that this would be monitoring the businesses and also, of course, the government institutions in hong kong. From the academic perspective, i believe we need to have a correct understanding on china first because with professor fukuyama famously declared that this is the end of the history because it is a form of human government and the terrorism, you have no place in the coming world, but apparently, to that case after he gave his speech, he was wrong, and we cannot still lose the mindset of the old times that we can that we should continue the engagement policy towards china. We should abandon the engagement policy and try to use an assertive way to understand china. Because in the campus, we know that chinas fwfrpment, they to establish around the world, and by that converse deal, they create propaganda and they use in other countries and dan are canada is the largest man and they shut down some of the Confucius Institutes, because when we uphom hold the freedom, the chinese govern a poernt are parentally agree on that and with many many hong kong people and they have a tros the globe in uk and the u. S. They are being followed and their home address are being posted on those social medias and thats whyy w we need all o the countries including the u. S. To support the hong kong people and to help support the Academic Freedom in the long run. Thank you. I think the question that all of this also is related to is chinas clear exercise of soft, hard and shock power, and so i want to say a couple of things on the academic front. In the u. S. We have over 300,000 chain ease students frchinese s mainland and he saw this up close and personal when he spoke at columbia what the actions of the students are. Im not raising it to think that theres an easy answer, but i do think that we must be thinking about how do we and i use it for lack of a better world, and engage students in u. S. Institutions. I taught at nyu, and i had some mainlanders who did not want to take my course because they were afraid to take the course because if they take the course other people who are reporting on, who took the course by sharon human rights director and even if i had students in the class from the mainland. The censorship is on mainland students as well. We have them protesting and we have to recognize they are all under surveillance with families back home. I really want to echo denises call in the companies and in particular, the protect hong kong act moves forward in discussions, and i know that its going through a legislative process, and 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 expectation on Police Equipment every two years. The next one they 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 all over the world and in the past we had been monitoring and many u. S. Companies have gone to exhibit and sell and afterwards report very proudly on the are we singing . Not yet, right . Not yet not singing yet, but theyve also reported on the hundreds, the millions of there ares of contracts that they were able to secure in beijing. So i think one thought might be 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 so because china has been named an economic competitor for the u. S. Its not an even playing field. Theyre an economic competitor where the soes are dominating the economy and you are not investing in the u. S. Company, but china is investing in all of the Key Industries and that is technology, ai, the military sector, Financial Services and then the ict sector which is completely stateowned enterprise in terms of the key 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 and according to the rules cant come back on in 2020. I think that is the year in which the u. S. Government, i know you have left the council for various analysis of its effectiveness, but that does not take away the fact that the u. S. Is still viewed as a leading player among all of the Member States and the council. You can exercise your role as an observer and you can exercise your very influential role in working with other democratic governments to issue joint statements, joint initiatives and joint, so i think 2020 is particularly important and in particular, that is the year to push because you are also on the ngo committee of echo side. That is the year to support and push for the reforms that are needed to allow independent Society Groups to be able, my organization over the because china just made it out of the committee because china just looks at us and thats it. End of story. It is very important that the u. S. Can raise the issues not only as an observer in Human Rights Council, but in the general assembly. I know youre quite active on the third and fifth committees. Thats where i think its important to exercise leadership 2020 is the year to push. China is there to support them, but the point is they wont have a vote. So i think it is a good year to get some traction. Ill just make a couple of quick comments. One is u. S. Cooperation 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, there is a onecountry, two systems of apartheidlike system where Patriotic Companies are privileged over other companies and if you happen to be a prodemocracy supporter youre at the bottom, if not an enemy. Regarding hong kong universities and with the 700 ones and this puts pressure the type of academic agendas and so forth like this and there are real problems if youre considered a sensitive personality such as benny ty or if you research insensitive issues that may or may not be clearly evident. Theres also a lot of things that happen in Hong Kong Related to academic and freedoms above the water and below the water line. One of them is that the Hong Kong Police are doing right now are i. D. Checks at large. So even if youre not arrested your name is being recorded and associated as being at a protest site. This may come down later on at some hiring decision and a vetting process by Stateowned Enterprises other Patriotic Companies. Former chief executive long discussed such a possibility back in 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 that we have two senators here and theres a vote on, and i will yield to senator king and maybe if we keep our answers short. Thank you. Miss hom, i am struggling that we have an island of democracy in a sea of op regz oppression, and millions of cameras and facial recognition, and the oppression of the uighurs religion and everything and yet youve got 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 . There are 7 million, i could, hong kongers and almost 800 million mainlanders, whatever that number is. The other piece is is there any sympathy for the hong kongers within the mainland . Is there a nascent, i would not call it a Democracy Movement, but at least a 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, but i do want to say that the control state, you put your finger right on it. A control state is china has built a whole system of control and through the law in the history of the world. The most comprehensive because it is also on self censorship and a social plat fochls of Community Reporting on each other. So it is this eebl system and the one thing about it testimony and the employ asymmetry of power that you could have a very powerful authoritarian state and it has not not withhands the mass crackdowns on lawyers and not withstands the killing of told thousands of 1989 by tanks. The communist party has. Be able to continue to work for a whole range of human rights. So thats number one. The success thing we havent really mention side hong kong has always been since 89, the only city and i will say within formal china, that has over 100,000 people every year on june 4th remembering. It was hong kongs students. It was hong kong journalists who went up to beiging to support the Democracy Movement and there are very moving testimony of the proat t p protesters and let the student goes back because they will tell the story. Can the regime have hong kong . Isnt this half of hong kong is the fundamental threat. The part of hong kong that could 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, you know, keep laying those egg, but you will 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 who and what hong kong is because hong kongers have we have had a history of freedom and working courts and independence and you cant just wipe it. Sympathy for mainlanders. I know because i also teach human rights seminars that mainlanders participate in demonstrations and i can tell you that when they participate in demonstrations in hong kong, a 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 and its not just what you see in the media of them fighting and protesting and fighting and 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 they realized we cant censor it and everybody does have the illegal vpns and they started doing the information and them they started a seening the disinformation. The other point is that there are mainlanders from the beginning in june who have expressed support for the hong kong Democracy Movement online. What has happened to them, arrested, detained, threatened and intimidated, et cetera. So not withstanding the full force of an authoritarian police state they are 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 are also willing to pay the price to support hong kongs movement because they understand 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. I want to join my colleagues and thanking you all. It is hard to soon of of the courage it takes and there is no doubt that someone in this room is someone reporting to beijing about your testimony. Thats right. Please make sure were stated properly. I dont want any misquotes. 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 very much. Senator dans . Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank this panel for coming before this commission to provide expertise on this important and very timely topic. As many of you know i spent more than five years living in guangzhou and part of that time in hong kong back in the 1990s whennes of in a private sector and we have four children and our two youngest both born in hong kong. I am deeply concerned with 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, this past month i helped lead a xthive excess who came to my home and stayed in mono ana and this was important to understand the situation in hong kong and identifying what some of the key issues were and to have a very open andy from exchange. As leader of the free world, we, the United States and the United States and the entire world must continue to support the autonomy and 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 needs to work with protesters and the use of Excessive Force by the police must end immediately. We must continue to Work Together towards building a strong relationship between our two countries. The question and ill start with mr. Wong, the protesters have formed a consensus around five demands including the withdrawal and the universal suffrage. Does the not government might have or is there a turn that might be acceptable . Hong kong people fight for a free election and suffrage since three decades ago, and even earlier than i born. The demands is the consensus that took to the streets in the past months and theyre also within a constitutional, and they recognize the importance to let hong kong people enjoy freedom and autonomy especially with the hong kong people ruling hong kong. So i will say that Democracy Movement and protests must continue at the end of the day well have democracy and well experience the state capital list regime crack down on human rights. Now we have continued on the summer of it content, and just and how hong kong people are in a difficult time in this uphill battle. Let me interject if i could. I have a vote coming and ill probably get there quickly. A followup question and how do you expect chief executive carrie lam and how do you think shell respond to these demands and how much power does she have to make concessions or will beijing have the final say . Thats an extremely good question. Carrie lam is a puppet Government Hand picked by beijing and she is not a decisionmaker. What we realized is stopping Police Brutality or not and allowing the free election all depends on beijing and thats the chief executive of hong kong. Carrie is following the order of the ho 40es and it is in the f few weeks how carrie lam can solve the political process by or hen personal capacity. Thank you. I would love to keep the discussion going longer. We appreciate it. Thank you very much. I think mr. Smith had one additional question . Thank you very much, chairman. I do appreciate it, and if i could and miss hom you did mention it and i think it bears further scrutiny. One of the notions theres no free lunch and its the issue of Confucius Centers which are agents of influence pushing the beijing line. In the past and both my Sub Committee and human rights which i chaired, i held a series of hearings on Confucius Centers as well as those entities and the universities and colleges that get access to the Mainland China especially and get an enormous number of perks, money, Physical Plant venues for their colleges and universities including nyu and ive had nyu testify in one of my hearings and he allowed me to come and give a speech and hes the lecture of human rights at the nyu campus and the concern is that theyre en route to 1,000 or Something Like that. Globally, and that is with the Chinese Government with the Confucius Centers and we had 92 in the United States and 82 are public and 14 are private. One of the things that im most concerned about and we asked for a gao report on this that came out in february of all year and that is to look at the terms and conditions, with you we back come to africa, or 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 of xi jinpings policies including hong kong. My question, very specifically, is what are the Confucius Centers and do you have insight about 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 the view in hong kong. Start off. Thank you. I think it is important to note that the Confucius Institutes and the pushbacks have also been led by really, active and wonderful activism from students from free tibet and supported by the uighurs and you can push back and have the institutions be more accountable and reliable. I think i think the quick answer to what are they saying is what can they say will always be under the guideline right now. Under the now the idea lodologi campaign under way pertaining to political study that the line of the day what can be reported in xinhua and what can be reported from the news will be determined from the top. And if you say anything and as you know, under the new regulations under the cybersecurity act, news is defined broadly to include opinion, a commentary including blogging. So you cant say, blog, think, anything except when the line comes down. So when the line comes down 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 and theyve got to get a better story here, but thats what they keep saying and so i think that is now the dominant and 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, you are also running the risk of subversion and incitement because thats going against the partys rules. Thats why it is so important that the suthor tearian system in the mainland has got to change or i think that hong kong people, and i know ive heard that some of my friends and colleagues say to the u. S. Please save us. I 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 cause less because it is very clear and heartbreaking that the young people are ready to go to the mat, and i think the key is as the u. S. Government and this commission is doing is to stand by so that the human costs can be mitigated a little bit. How did the teachers at the Confucius Institute get their marching orders . This is like going inside of a black box, but let me speculate. I am pretty sure that all of the curriculum are approved and reviewed. Im pretty sure they dont exercise creative freedom and say theyre all approved curricula about 89. There are these big holes in that history. Whats happening and all of the youll probably read about the diverse, ethnic groups in china, happy people, happy tibet ans and happy uighurs and youll probably see that version of when is happening . So im pretty sure, and those are monitored and if anyone teach im pretty sure that teacher will be in trouble and so it is teetly controlled and the money is what do you say the word . Enticement to universities and not because of the and they come back with an endowed chair or money for a program, and i think theres this kind of collapse. Because senator danes left i can Say Something to him anyway . I am 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 s. O. E. , stateowned enterprise, has a Party Committee and now that requirement has extended to foreign, to companies with Foreign Investments and foreign companies. I had a Canadian Company ask me how can that be . Why are they making us establish a Party Committee . I said youre not being targeted. All of the companies will have to have a Party Committee. What does the Party Committee do . Review your personnel and review your management and the Business Decisions and make sure everybody is ideologically pure. Do they hide it . Not a secret. China telecom and china mobile and they have pictures of the annual meeting saying we did good and the Party Committee is happy with us this year and we complied. So i think the American Companies going in their listed s. O. E. S and apple daily reported 120. The Chinese Company says 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. Thats for you, senator danes. Thank you very much. Youve been very patient and youve been here for two and a half hours and im the last person so youll have to bear with me just a little bit more, but this hearing is winding down. First of all, let me thank everybody for being here. Everybodys testimony has been, i think, informative and has given us some marching orders and 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 in response to human rights abuses in china and we look the other way and we thought more trade would do it or more this would do it or whatever, and really things havent gotten any better and things continue 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, you know, when it comes to tibet, we issue the obligatory people to practice their religion, but the repression continues and what were treeing to do is to change that. Talking with oneself doesnt change anything. There needs to be a consequence and were trying to move legislation forward that would improve the consequence and i think it is very clear from everybody here that the protect hong kong act and the 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, it doesnt happen here overnight. Senator rubio talked about hearings that are in the senate and 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 they will receive bipartisan support. So that will happen. So we get the message on that and that is and we will follow through so we have our assignments. Mr. Wong, miss ho being i mean, youve traveled along with colleagues who are beheine you, and i want to recognize them as well at a very critical time in hong kong and you have come i think its important for the record for you to say why it is so important that the International Community and the United States support your effort . Why that is critical to the success in what you are doing . I would also like to get everyones response to this. I have to be honest with you. I have been somewhat disappointed in the current administrations response to what is happening in hong kong. I think it should be much more forceful. And i would appreciate your comments and 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. Is speaking to what advice we could give the Trump Administration. I would say, that u. S. Responses have to be resolute to use a hong kong term. If they are not hard, if they are not unwavering , you will not get any respect from the Chinese Communist party. They will exploit it. The strongman aesthetic is what the rules of beijing right now. Even in hong kong and tomorrow this a dealmaking doesnt make much to them. Because whatever deal they make their going to subvert. Just like with the rule of law, universal suffrage, and what the defense means in the hong kong basic law. We colored party speak. I think the administration has to be aware of this party speak and understand it. Second, is that 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 with the cold war or not . The discussions have been out there and are perceived by both beijing and washington, 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. In beijing and in hong kong theyre looking to weaponize the two systems against the u. S. This is not just an issue getting good trade deal from china. Its a much broader issue than that. The weaponization of one country , the two systems a specific is looking at how china can use hong kongs advantages such as u. S. Customs treatment to exploit of the world . We have seen it with the recent scandal at United Nations where patrick was found guilty. We saw it earlier with china getting their first Aircraft Carrier from ukraine. That was done through a whole series of deceptions and manipulations of Hong Kong Special status. These type of things are still going on today. We are not looking at, one of the reasons why in my opinion its very important to treat a state owned enterprises in hong kong and anybody affiliated differently than how we would treat a regular hong kong residence. Ms. Hom . . I think its a scary thought to give advice to Trump Administration. I think that any actions by the ministration has to hold true to the u. S. Core values. The u. S. Has core values on human rights, democracy, and freedom. I totally echo that hong kong should not be made into a bargaining chip in some deal thats on the table. The ideological confrontation , the battle the models is actually much more than that. Its really china against the world. Its not too models of equal the legitimacy. 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 a world order that came out to say we will never again have what happened in germany. We will never again have mass detention. We will never have mass trampling on Human Dignity. So to take down that order is not about a model, the chinese models are not coequal. It is a Chinese Party model. We should start framing it as china against the dominant world order. It is a dominant world order that still exists and they cannot treat it as if we can change the model. I think on no consequences. There needs to be more consequences. Its not totally accurate, and its very important to recognize that there are consequences already. When the u. S. Speaks up, when the commission has this hearing. Its been watched and listened to. Im sure in the living rooms in beijing right now some high officials are watching the you are live on cspan. I think that the consequences that we should also keep in mind is the party does want legitimacy. It cannot stay in power through naked military polling and force. It can get a long way , but cannot stay in power without legitimacy. Thats what the whole International Human rights system, and the u. S. Holding onto their core values. You dont have to give that up. You can say no we are not going to give you that legitimacy. We do not respect thugs and thats a very important. Mr. Cheung . A Quick Response to your question. China is getting more wealthy and getting mighty. China is picking fights with other countries in the free world. China is expanding their military and the south china sea. They ignored the international judgment and have the ownership of the south china sea. Which is severely threatened to security in the asiapacific region. They even pick fights with canada regarding the huawei incident. Who would pick a fight with canada . Only china. I think thats how assertive chinas. 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. Regarding how china is doing a lot of silent invasion, theyre using their Economic Dominance to control many local societies and other countries. Many local societies and other countries are already compromised like some Southeast Asian countries. Like sri lanka. They have to lease the military port to china for 99 years. This is new for me, and i believe only the u. S. Can contain china. Also secondly, i believe why u. S. Should be concerned about hong kong is that many interest are here, you have to secure your interest. For example, a few months ago when there was u. S. Sanction that hong kong should not allow ship which was carrying oil from iran. The point is that the Hong Kong Government ignored the u. S. Sanction and a loud the ship from iran to come to hong kong. And they tried to carry that oil back to iran. This undermines your interest, and its one of the most Important Reasons you should care about hong kong and do something instead of just issuing statements to support hong kong. Ms. This a start fight in hong kong has not only been possible to the termination of youngsters in hong kong people. I would like to think the members of this commission for the continuous attention on hong kong issues and of course to push this act because this has contributed and giving hope to hong kong people in the way that it is telling the youngsters that their efforts are making a change the world. That we are not an isolated struggle. Its a global fight. We are in the front lines of this global fight to protect these universal values that we all cherish. Hopefully by passing this act, we would receive momentum in the International Communities where other countries that might join in and preserve these values and also to monitor this totalitarian regime that is actually destroying these values on a daily basis. Thank you very much. Mr. Wong . Spoke with a shock power expansion from china to canada and australia. The belt and wrote initiative implies how china takes advantage in economics and european countries. And how china did not respect an international order, after promising on a joint declaration, and having negotiation with u. S. On a trade deal. We are aware that the uprising china model is just the expansion of totalitarian rule and without respect to International Awareness that explains why hong kong matters to the world. Because hong kong people stand on the forefront to confront authoritarian rule and hong kong people are where the hong kong is therefore front and we will confront the authoritarian crackdown. If hong kong fails the next maybe the free world. I strongly realize now is the time for the u. S. Congress to pass the hong kong human rights and democracy act. I hope the u. S. Government can reveal its Foreign Policy to china to prioritize human rights issues. Especially now we are not only suffering in the political arena but even a humanitarian crisis. The first time for me to be imprisoned was two years ago. I remote i watch tv on how beijing authorities announced a no term limits for president in the future. Which let me realize that i was in prison and the one who locked me up in prison means to be the authority and role represented by president xi jinping thats a long term battle. In 2047 no matter what i or others we will be the age of 50 and i hope after 28 years hong kong can still be our hometown with freedom and democracy. I think its time to think all the congressmen and senators in the past few years and the past few decades. Painted to do protest movement in hong kong with them. We stand as one. Hong kong residents never walk alone. Think it. Thank you very much. Let me think my staff a commission for all the work that they did in preparing. Let me think the panelists , and 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 your courage that we will see unfolding on our television screens, and as we read in the newspaper. I have to say for everybody here you have been an inspiration. As i said at the beginning of the hearing we are a diverse Political Group on this commission, but on this issue we are in solidarity with you. We believe in the future of hong kong , and that ought to be determined by the people of hong kong. And i cannot think you enough for being here. Thank you. This hearing is adjourned. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] excuse me if youre from the media come over here, photographers will be available. We are having them available for press across the street. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] d12. [chanting] [chanting] [ singing in Foreign Language ] [ singing in Foreign Language ] thank you. [applause] thank you. [ singing in Foreign Language ] [chanting] [chanting] ib Free Hong Kong tomorrow the sun of Anthony Scalia testifies on his nomination to serve as the next labor secretary. That is live thursday at 9 am eastern. On cspan3. President donald trump will host the second state dinner as they welcome australian prime ministers scott morrison. Will