[Updated] Hong Kong Watch welcomes the passage of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act

On 2 July 2020, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act passed the Senate and was forwarded to the President for consideration. 

The Hong Kong Autonomy Act is legislation to sanction individuals, firms, and banks eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy. Senators Van Hollen and Toomey have initiated the legislation in the Senate, and it was initiated by Rep. Sherman and Yoho in the House of Representatives. 

This legislation, which previously passed the Senate by unanimous consent last week, passed the House of Representatives with slight technical changes yesterday. 

The passing of this legislation is an important step in the US leading the world in creating a targeted and flexible sanctions program, which acts as a genuine deterrent against the ongoing infringement of Hong Kong's autonomy.

Commenting on the US House of Representatives passing the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, Hong Kong Watch’s Director, Johnny Patterson, said:

“The fact that both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate have now passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act sends a clear signal to the Communist Party of China, that the international community will not stand by and allow it to flagrantly breach its obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its promises to the people of Hong Kong.

Aside from targeted sanctions on the perpetrators of human rights abuses under the National Security Law, this legislation will give new powers to the US Government to impose secondary sanctions on financial institutions who are complicit in undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy."