US Senate passes bill that could punish China for Hong Kong national security law
- Proposed congressional actions involving Hong Kong are ‘more symbolic than substantive’, an analyst says
- Measure now goes to House of Representatives for debate on its own version of the legislation
The US Senate approved legislation on Thursday that would strengthen the US government’s ability to sanction those violating China’s commitments to Hong Kong under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.
Introduced by Senator Pat Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act passed via unanimous consent, which is used to pass legislation not considered controversial. Its passage came after a Republican senator had blocked the bill on Wednesday, citing a request by the US administration for technical amendments.
As well as punitive measures against individuals, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act requires sanctions against any foreign financial institution that knowingly conduct “significant transactions” – as defined by the US Treasury – with the designated individuals.
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US Senate passes bill that could punish China for Hong Kong national security law
Late-stage amendments to the legislation included requiring that the secretary of the Treasury be consulted in the processes of identifying foreign persons to be sanctioned, and also transferring the authority of identifying the foreign financial institutions from State Department to Treasury.