Showdown with Beijing looms as more US lawmakers back Hong Kong democracy bill
- Support grows in Congress for a Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act as anti-government protests rack the city amid police crackdowns
- But analysts worry the proposed legislation would be largely symbolic and enrage Beijing, further damaging already strained US-China ties
US lawmakers rushed to back legislation meant to support Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters this week, boosting the chances that the bills will become law.
Yet questions about the effectiveness of the legislation, which failed to clear congressional hurdles in earlier versions, have increased in tandem with the mounting endorsements.
Lawmakers from Texas, Arizona, Vermont and New Jersey co-sponsored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, bringing the number of supporters to 25 Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Seven senators, including Texas Republican John Cornyn, have joined 10 who had already signed on to an identical bill in their chamber.
Sponsors and other advocates say the unrest that has rocked Hong Kong for more than three months – intermittently paralysing transport links, shutting street-level commerce and slashing local tourism revenue – will prompt a “yes” vote before the end of the current congressional session.
The recent spike in cosponsors of the bills, introduced by Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida in the Senate and Chris Smith of New Jersey in the House, “is a response to what’s been going on recently in Hong Kong”, said Michael Davis, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre in Washington, a top policy think tank.