Hong Kong: Joint Statement by the Chairs Before the G7 Meetings in France

August 23, 2019

(Washington)— U.S. Representative James McGovern (D-MA) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Chair and Cochair respectively of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today issued a joint statement urging President Trump to discuss the interests of the U.S. and the international community in Hong Kong’s autonomy at the G7 meetings starting this week.

“At the G-7 summit this weekend, President Trump should raise the ongoing threats to Hong Kong’s autonomy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in discussions with other world leaders. The President and the international community should make clear that Beijing is expected to fully abide by the terms and the spirit of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, a legally binding treaty, and that intervention by mainland Chinese authorities against peaceful protesters in Hong Kong would further damage China’s bilateral and multilateral relationships. U.S. and global interests are at stake if Hong Kong’s autonomy continues to erode. Chairman Xi Jinping should understand that his government’s willingness to uphold its international commitments will have a direct bearing on whether any agreements with Beijing, especially on trade, can ever be trusted."