Urging adherence to the "one country, two systems" policy as prescribed in the Joint Declaration between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of this measure.

Let me start by thanking our chairman on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce of California, for his leadership and for working with me to bring this measure forward.

I introduced this resolution with Representatives Chabot, Yoho, Sherman, and Smith, and I want to thank them all for their partnership.

I really listened intently to Mr. Yoho and also know that we make progress on the Foreign Affairs Committee because, as Mr. Poe of Texas said, we work in bipartisan measure, and we try to agree on the language and we try to make sure that the U.S. Congress speaks with one voice so that both our friends and adversaries around the world will understand that we put partisanship aside. We leave it at the water's edge, and I think that is very important.

I think the kind of people the Foreign Affairs Committee attracts to serve on the committee, on both sides of the aisle, are the kind who keep perpetuating this bipartisan spirit because we have differences in policies, for sure, but we are all Americans. We all want to keep each other safe, and we all want to make sure that America does the right thing and that others do the right thing to America as well.

So when we have the incident like we had yesterday with the terrible terrorist attack in Manhattan, it makes us pause, as a Congress, and think about what this all means.

People in Hong Kong were made promises as well. They were made promises years ago that China would be one country, including Hong Kong, but two systems, that Hong Kong would be its independent system. And, of course, the Chinese officials and Beijing regime have tried every which way to go after student protesting, curbing the rights and values of the people of Hong Kong, so this resolution is really very, very important.

I thank, again, Representatives Smith, Sherman, Yoho, and Chabot. But I also want to recognize Doug Anderson and Sean O'Neill on the chairman's staff for their contributions to this resolution, and Jennifer Hendrixson-White on my staff. It is a great example, again, of bipartisanship when it comes to foreign policy. We work together and we produce what I regard as superior products.

For decades, Mr. Speaker, the United States has shared an important, unique relationship with Hong Kong. That relationship has been based on Hong Kong's autonomy from Mainland China. This resolution underscores our national security interest in seeing Hong Kong remain autonomous at a time when we have seen some troubling trends.

Twenty years ago, at the time of the handover, China made a commitment that Hong Kong would continue to enjoy its special status. Today, China claims that the 1997 Joint Declaration is a so-called ``historical document'' that has, again, ``no practical significance.'' But the UK and the United States believe in international law, and we are committed to holding China to its word, again, a ``one country, two systems'' form of government in Hong Kong.

This approach was experimental when the Chinese and British first devised it. You may remember that Hong Kong was a British colony. The Chinese Government essentially said that Hong Kong would continue to have its own executive, legislative, and judicial rights, that the people of Hong Kong would continue to enjoy fundamental rights guaranteed in Hong Kong's laws. But Beijing is now backing away from its commitments, even declaring the Joint Declaration a historical document with no relevance today.

Meddling in Hong Kong's elections by China's National People's Congress led to the Umbrella protests in 2014. Hong Kong residents critical of the People's Republic of China have disappeared, while the presence of the People's Liberation Army has grown.

The credibility of Hong Kong's courts has suffered following decisions to send Umbrella Movement student leaders to prison after they had already served their previous sentences. Academic freedoms have eroded. Self-censorship has grown, and journalists face regular harassment.

So we are worried, Mr. Speaker. We are worried about Chinese encroachment, about what is going to happen to the people of Hong Kong, and about the way China's newly aggressive posture is going to affect our relationship with Hong Kong in the future.

Twenty years after accepting the so-called ``one country, two systems'' model, China's objective now seems to be making Hong Kong and the mainland ``one country, one system.'' This is not what the government in Beijing, the international community, the United States, Great Britain, or the people of Hong Kong signed up for.

So this issue raises bigger questions, Mr. Speaker:

To what degree will the Chinese Government live up to its international commitments as China continues to expand economically and grow in stature on the global stage?

This measure says, ``Enough.'' It sends a message to China that we in the United States Congress expect Beijing to keep its word. That is not asking too much. It reiterates that our special bond with Hong Kong is based on our shared values, the values of democracy, and that we want to see that relationship endure for years to come.

So I am grateful to my colleagues for working on this measure with me, especially Mr. Yoho. I ask support from all Members.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me again remind everyone that Hong Kong is special because of its judicial independence and strong rule of law that is supposed to be protected under the ``one country, two systems'' approach. That is also the reason why the United States shares such a strong strategic relationship with Hong Kong.

This resolution is a reminder of why our ties with Hong Kong are so important, and a call for all parties to respect the decades-old commitments that have underpinned Hong Kong's autonomy. At a time when China is growing more and more aggressive in its neighborhood, the United States cannot be seen as ceding ground. We need to stand up for our friends. We need to stand up for our values. We need to stand up for our interests. We need to hold all countries to their commitments, just as the United States lives up to our own.

I ask for all Members to support this measure. I thank our chairman, Ed Royce, and Mr. Yoho for their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 422) urging adherence to the ``one country, two systems'' policy as prescribed in the Joint Declaration between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of the Hong Kong, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Ranking Member Engel for authorizing this important measure on Hong Kong, the city once known as the Pearl of the Orient.

I commend the gentleman for strongly advocating for Hong Kong's continued adherence to the ``one country, two systems'' policy that has allowed for Hong Kong's autonomy and prosperity for so long. I was happy to join him as an original cosponsor of this important measure.

During a recent trip that I led to Hong Kong, I heard firsthand how measures like this are helpful in keeping the pressure on Beijing to keep its commitment to the Joint Declaration.

Twenty years have now passed since the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. At the time, the U.S. Congress played a vital role in the continuity of the U.S. relationship with Hong Kong by passing the Hong Kong Policy Act in 1992. This act established that the U.S. would treat Hong Kong as a nonsovereign entity distinct from China on commercial, cultural, and law enforcement matters so long as it remained ``sufficiently autonomous.''

Since the handover, Hong Kong has continued to be a global economic force and a financial hub. In recent years, however, it has also begun to face increased social, economic, and political challenges, including external pressures.

Mr. Speaker, we saw the Umbrella Movement protest in 2014, which was led by youth seeking to liberalize the electoral system and introduce true universal suffrage to Hong Kong in accordance with the Joint Declaration between Great Britain and China. In the intervening years, we have witnessed booksellers kidnapped from Hong Kong, Thailand, and Mainland China; legislator oaths being invalidated; and the jailing of protest leaders.

For many of us here in Congress, there is growing concern about the apparent increased role of Beijing in the affairs of Hong Kong. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is important to reiterate here today that our special treatment of Hong Kong is dependent upon it remaining sufficiently autonomous. We want to see Hong Kong's highly developed rule of law, independent judiciary, and respect for individual freedoms remain as the lifeblood of Hong Kong and its economic prosperity as guaranteed, again, by China and Great Britain in the Joint Declaration.

Passage of this resolution demonstrates our support for the continuation of the ``one country, two systems'' policy in Hong Kong, so I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I, too, want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Engel; Mr. Royce, the chairman of the committee; Doug Anderson; and, of course, Hunter Strupp. I chair the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee. It has been a bipartisan committee, and to see everybody come together to work on these different situations, and different bills and resolutions, it is so important that we project a unified body.

I would think China, as they move forward, would look hard to honor their commitment that they made because it is not just Hong Kong they are influencing. It is all of the other countries in the world, and it will determine future negotiations on how China, Beijing, honors their commitment that they made with Hong Kong that the other nations will look at.

Hong Kong plays an important role in today's regional and world economy. Its open market and strong rule of law have served as an example to the region of how freedom and a rules-based society can foster a positive environment for its people's happiness and prosperity.

The U.S. has benefited greatly from strong economic cultural ties to Hong Kong, and I would venture to say, the world has benefited from that. We want to continue this relationship, but to do so, Hong Kong must remain sufficiently autonomous. Our President is headed on a 5- country, 12-day tour of the Asia area at the end of the week, and it will be his first time visiting China as President.

With this resolution, we send a strong message from Congress about our support for Hong Kong's continued prosperity and special status. Thus, we urge faithfulness to the ``one country, two systems'' policy, as established by the joint declaration and the basic law with respect to Hong Kong's autonomy and its enjoyment of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers. Hong

Kong's independent judiciary must be sacrosanct.

In closing, I would like to thank Ranking Member Engel again and the original cosponsors: Mr. Smith, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Sherman, and Connolly.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank Chairman Royce for convening this mark-up on a number of substantive pieces of legislation. As our time is limited, I will focus on a few key items.

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 3445, and I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, as well as my friend and colleague Karen Bass, for trying to strengthen the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

I would like to thank my good friend and fellow member of the New Jersey delegation, Albio Sires, for his bipartisan Global Health Innovation Act of 2017, H.R. 1660, of which I am a cosponsor.

This bill will allow us to exercise greater oversight over USAID programs and to gauge how effectively USAID is developing and utilizing innovations in health programs.

I support H.R. 3320 and commend Chairman Yoho for his work on this timely bill. The Chinese Communist government has been slowly squeezing Taiwan's international space, taking extraordinary measures to exclude Taiwan from multi-lateral institutions like the World Health Organization.

Such exclusions create real international blind spots that pose threats to global health and security. As you all know, SARS spread from Taiwan and China to other parts of the globe.

With the World Health Organization in particular, I intend to push for admission of Taiwan.

I commend Ranking Member, Mr. Engel, along with Chairman Yoho, Mr. Chabot, and Mr. Sherman, for putting together H. Res. 422, on Hong Kong.

The threats to Hong Kong's autonomy and its freedoms are real and progressing. These freedoms and the rule of law are vital economic interests of the United States and the foundation of the city's vitality, creativity, and entrepreneurial sprit.

Beijing has become more assertive in Hong Kong's affairs over the past several years and ramped up efforts to destroy the pro-democracy movement over the summer. Six legislations were disqualified through unprecedented interventions by the National People's Congress into Hong Kong's judiciary. The pan-democratic minority could stop pro-Beijing legislation in the past, but now it cannot. China can push through any measure it wants now with its block of unelected legislators.

And, as you all know, the Hong Kong government has re-sentenced the leaders of the peaceful Umbrella Movement of 2014. Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow should now be considered Hong Kong's first political prisoners. They will not be the last, as new trails begin soon.

This resolution is needed but should not be our last word. That is why I introduced, along with Congressman Tim Walza (a fellow CECC Commissioner), the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act--a bill that I introduced in the last Congress and which has been introduced by Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ben Cardin in the Senate.

I would urge my colleagues to consider this legislation and find ways to protect U.S. interests in a free and autonomous Hong Kong in addition to Ranking Member Engels' resolution which is before us today.

Hizballah is a cancer that has metastasized in Lebanon and threatens to invade nearly every corner of the region if we do not stay vigilant. H.R. 3329, introduced by Chairman Royce, would choke off additional sources of financial support for this malignant growth, particularly by targeting the group's grass roots fundraising enterprise that it expanded to circumvent existing sanctions. Building on the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act that the House passed unanimously in 2015, this bill would require third-party sanctions on those who substantially support Hizballah fundraising operations.

The reports required in this legislation would also go further to ferret out the extent of the group's fundraising network, which it would rightly classify as a transnational criminal organization. Make no mistake: Hizballah is an international crime syndicate, wrapped in an Iranian paramilitary proxy, inside a terrorist organization, masquerading as a political resistance movement.

H.R. 3342 introduced by Mike Gallagher would direct our government to use the tools at its disposal to impose penalties on Hizballah for employing human shields to defend its installations and outposts. Hizballah's use of innocent human lives to protect its nefarious activities is a clear human rights violation and plainly demonstrates that Hizballah is an enemy of Lebanon's freedom-loving people. The bill also encourages the President to direct our Permanent Representative at the United Nations to use her voice and vote to push for a resolution condemning this sickening practice. I can confidently say that the United States could not ask for a stronger or more clear-eyed defender of American interests and the security of our most critical regional ally, Israel, at the UN than Ambassador Haley.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Ranking Member, Mr. Engel, along with Chairman Yoho, Mr. Chabot, and Mr. Sherman, for introducing H. Res. 422.

I am an original cosponsor of this legislation. As the Cochair of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China, I have been gravely concerned by the Chinese government's efforts to curtail Hong Kong's autonomy and crush pro-democracy voices in this city.

Twenty years ago, China promised to guarantee Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms for 50 years through the Sino-British Joint Declaration. These promises have been needlessly strained in recent years, calling into question the viability of a `One Country, Two Systems' model that has provided great benefits to both China and the world.

The threats to Hong Kong's autonomy and its freedoms are progressing. At the recent 19th Party Congress, Communist Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping reiterated the fact that Hong Kong's autonomy is limited by Beijing's ``comprehensive jurisdiction''--meaning that Beijing has the final say on what freedoms are exercised in Hong Kong and who gets to lead the city's government.

On October 11, 2017, a British human rights activist, Benedict Rogers, was denied access to Hong Kong by the Chinese government. Mr. Rogers was also warned not to continue meeting with pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong by the Chinese Embassy in London.

Beijing is now telling foreigners with whom they can meet in Hong Kong and barring entry to those who will not comply.

This is a chilling development that should be a concern from all countries and corporations that have an interest in Hong Kong's freedoms. Maintaining these freedoms and the rule of law are vital economic interests of the United States.

The governments and legislatures of the UK and the United States should work together to ensure that the Sino-Declaration Joint Declaration remains in force to protect Hong Kong's unique way of life.

Xi Jinping also said recently about Hong Kong that he would ``never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China . . . and that attempts to endanger China's sovereignty and security, to challenge the power of the central government . . . [crosses] the red line.''

Given Beijing's expansive view of its own security to include anyone peacefully seeking political reforms or rights protections, these are ominous words indeed.

Beijing has ramped up efforts to destroy the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. This past year, six elected legislators were disqualified after the National People's Congress intervened in Hong Kong's judiciary. Then, in August, a Hong Kong court issued heavier sentences for Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow, leaders of the peaceful Umbrella Movement of 2014.

Mr. Wong, Mr. Law, and Mr. Chow should now be considered Hong Kong's first political prisoners. Though Joshua Wong and Nathan Law are out on bail at the moment pending an appeal, they face other charges and may be put back in prison in the future. They likely will not be the last political prisoners in Hong Kong, as other Umbrella Movement leaders were convicted recently, including Professor Benny Tai.

Senator Marco Rubio and I, with whom I cochair the CECC, have announced our intention to nominate Hong Kong pro-democracy Umbrella Movement for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. I hope all Members will consider signing on to that initiative.

I support this resolution, but it should not be our last word. In 1992, the U.S. Congress passed the Hong Kong Policy Act, saying that U.S. policy toward Hong Kong was contingent on the preservation of Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms. With these fundamental elements being diminished by the Chinese government, we should consider amending a bill passed 25 years ago to better protect U.S. interests.

That is why I introduced, along with Congressman Tim Walz (a fellow CECC Commissioner), the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act (H.R. 3856)--a bill that I introduced in the last Congress and which has been introduced by Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ben Cardin in the Senate.

If Hong Kong is to be just another Chinese city, then we have the responsibility to reassess whether Hong Kong warrants special status under U.S. law.

We all have a stake in ensuring Hong Kong remains an open city, with the rule of law and guaranteed rights currently unavailable in Mainland China.

I support passage of this bill and thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership on this issue.