GOP introduces aggressive bill against China over Hong Kong independence

[Valin]

Hot Air:

Jazz Shaw

November 17, 2016

 

We’ve been watching recent events unfolding in Hong Kong with understandable concern. Most prominently, their recent municipal elections resulted in two pro-independence candidates being chosen by the voters. China quickly weighed in, effectively vetoing the results and this week a court in Hong Kong agreed, vacating the offices. These moves are obviously designed to send the message that any pretense of independence for Hong Kong is illusory and China remains firmly in control.

 

So that can the United States do about it? (Assuming, of course, that we should do anything.) We probably can’t do much about the election results, but in terms of the broader questions of freedom and basic human rights, Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio reintroduced a bill which was first proposed in early 2015. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act will seek to directly punish Chinese and Hong Kong officials who engage in the suppression of free speech for the people of Hong Kong. (Quartz)

 

(Snip)

 

If this bill passes it will be one of the most aggressive moves against prominent leaders of authoritarian regimes that we’ve seen outside of sanctions placed on certain officials in Russia and Iran in the past decade. Identifying and freezing the western assets of Chinese and Hong Kong officials would be a major slap in the face and would make foreign relations with one of the planet’s major economic superpowers more difficult for the new administration.

 

So is that any reason not to do it? Not at all. If we’re truly going to walk the walk the same way we talk the talk, this sends a powerful signal to the rest of the world...........(Snip)