A Strong But Peaceful Response from the People of Hong Kong
‘Over the past several days, millions of residents have taken to the streets to defend their autonomy and the rule of law from continued encroachment by the communist government of mainland China. After days of tension, this past weekend brought some good news. In a sign that the people’s demonstrations had sent a clear message, Hong Kong officials announced that the government would suspend consideration of the proposed “extradition” bill indefinitely.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding protests in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition law:
“Last week I spoke about the people’s uprising in Hong Kong. Over the past several days, millions of residents have taken to the streets to defend their autonomy and the rule of law from continued encroachment by the communist government of mainland China. After days of tension, this past weekend brought some good news. In a sign that the people’s demonstrations had sent a clear message, Hong Kong officials announced that the government would suspend consideration of the proposed ‘extradition’ bill indefinitely.
“The fate of Hong Kong and its special status is a subject I have watched carefully for decades. Early on in my Senate tenure, I introduced the legislation that still governs our relationship with Hong Kong — the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which President Bush 41 signed into law. On the day I introduced that legislation, I said it was heartening to see that ‘democracy is finally gaining a tenuous foothold in Hong Kong.’
“Well, the nearly 30 years since then have shown us all just what the people of Hong Kong can do when the terms of their independence and freedom are respected. We’ve seen Hong Kong thrive – in large measure due to the political and economic freedoms and stable rule of law that Hong Kong’s special status has enabled. But we’ve also seen — clearly, in recent days — that freedom's foothold in the shadow of mainland China is not a given. It remains ‘tenuous’ even now.
“So I wanted to again express my admiration for the people of Hong Kong and their strong but peaceful response to this proposed encroachment. I’m glad to see their leaders respect their willingness to stand their ground. And I hope the city’s authorities will continue to respect the clear will of the people on these issues moving forward.”
Related Issues: China
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