Bill that could close Hong Kong trade offices in US advances in Senate
- The three offices ‘serve as another mouthpiece that the Chinese Communist Party uses to obscure its long record of human rights abuses against Hongkongers’
- The measure is now expected to go to the full Senate for a vote; a similar version of the bill has been introduced in the House
Legislation that could close Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in the US cleared a key Senate committee on Thursday, a crucial step on its path to becoming law.
The bill, called the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act, would require the White House to “remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions and immunities” to the offices if it decides that Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from Beijing.
The bill – sponsored by senators Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, and Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat – was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is now expected to go to the full Senate for a vote. A similar version of the bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
“HKETOs in the United States now serve as another mouthpiece that the Chinese Communist Party uses to obscure its long record of human rights abuses against Hongkongers and other groups that Beijing deems a threat,” Rubio and Merkley said.
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There are a 14 HKETOs outside mainland China; the three in the United States are in Washington, New York and San Francisco.