US lawmakers have reintroduced a bill to Congress intended to press Beijing to guarantee Hong Kong’s autonomy and human rights.
If the bill becomes law it will update the 1992 US-Hong Kong Policy Act that has allowed the city trade and economic privileges not extended to mainland China. It would require the US secretary of state to certify annually that Hong Kong remains sufficiently autonomous.
What would be “sufficient” as judged by these trade-hungry would-be heroes is anyone’s guess, however.
A statement released by the US lawmakers calls for Beijing to fulfil “its long-standing obligation under international law to maintain Hong Kong’s autonomy, guarantee human rights, and allow free and fair elections in 2017 and beyond.”
The statement said Beijing had taken steps to erode the city’s autonomy and freedoms, including the White Paper circulated last year that stipulated only Beijing-vetted candidates can be nominated as the territory’s chief executive.
“Given the tens of thousands of Hong Kong people who demonstrated peacefully last year for democratic reforms, the Hong Kong and Chinese governments should seek new proposals for electoral reform,” the statement said.
But as we know, Beijing has long criticised “foreign interference” in Hong Kong affairs and accused foreign forces of being behind last year’s Occupy Central pro-democracy protests (cough, naughty Nickelback).
Though China president XI Jinping is slated to make his first stateside visit in September, political experts are doubtful that the US would discuss the issue regarding Hong Kong, pointing that doing so may risk “America’s strategic foothold” in the city.
All talk and no trousers again? Probably.
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