The committee on Foreign Affairs will come to order. The chair is authorized to declare a recess at any point and all members will have five days to submit statements, materials and questions for the record subject to the length, limitations in the rules. To insert something in the record please have your staff email the previously mentioned address or contact of the full committee staff. I see that we have a quorum and before i go forward i understand the speaker of the house, miss pelosi, will be stopping by this hearing and i ask unanimous consent she participate in any point she arrives during the hearing. So ordered. There she is. Madame speaker, would you like to make some remarks . Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I thank you and mr. Mccaul, mr. Eliot engel for having this hearing today. It is with Great Sadness that i come here because we had such optimism and such hope. The u. S. Congress has always spoken in a bipartisan house and senate, democrats and republicans, with one voice in defense of those who are oppressed by beijing in support of freedom, justice and real autonomy for the people of hong kong. We continue to urge President Trump to hold chinese officials accountable for abuses including taking steps under the hong kong human rights and democracy act we must consider all tools available including visa limitations and economic penalties. But here today im very honored to join cheuk yan lee, confederation of trade unions, carroll peter sen, professor of Law University of hawaii, brian leung, ph. D. University candidate university of washington and virtually electronically nathan law, Legislative Council, former Member Council of hong kong and former chairman. Again, for years, the world has watched in horror as beijing has accelerated its campaign to dismantle the rights and freedoms of the people of hong kong. From its brutal response to peaceful protests to the introduction of the horrific extradition law that we condemned. So many times this committee, mr. Mccaul, mr. Eliot engel, the senate, marco rubio, mr. Cardin and others, have put now chris van hollyn, mr. Toomey over there, democrats and republicans have put the bright spotlight on what is happening. The executive commission on china, chaired by mr. Mcgovern and cochaired by chris smith, vice chair chris smith, have worked very hard with hearings, et cetera, as has this committee to all attention to all of this. The commission on human rights, former chair of this committee, in a bipartisan way has called attention to all of this over the years since Tiananmen Square and then in terms of hong kong more specifically leading up to 1987 and including that whats so sad about it the chinese just think the chinese regime thinks they can act with impunity in repressing the spirit of democracy. 2 Million People turned out against the extradition law, 2 Million People. Thats a big crowd in the United States. But when you understand it was 25 of the population of hong kong, almost anybody who could go out showed up against what chinese regime was going to do. What they want they want the most horrible form of horror, just keep using the same word for someone who was fighting for democracy or imprisoned because its for the regime to say nobody cares, theyre not paying attention to what youre doing, nobody remembers youre in prison and that or why youre even there. We know why theyre there, something deep in the soul of all of us, something that young people commemorated in tianamen square, having democracy as their symbol, something that we have led the way on and that we cannot turn our backs on. When beijing announced its intention to pass a socalled National Security law, socalled, we were concerned. It was frightening. It is nothing short of an allout effort to negate the rights of the people of hong kong in violation of the agreements made under the one country, two systems. We were concerned of what it might be and it exceeds even those horrors. The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown against the people of hong kong intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised. Thanks to the committee for holding this hearing which asks the question, is this the end of the one country, two systems . It seems as it is. As i have stated beijings socalled National Security passed on the eve of the 23rd anniversary of the handover of hong kong from the uk to china signals the death of the one country, two systems principle. The purpose of this law is to frighten, intimidate and suppress the people of hong kong who are demanding the freedoms they have been owed. All freedom loving people must come together to condemn the law which accelerates beijings years long assault on hong kongs political and economic freedoms. Many of us have been working for mr. Smith and i have been working for three generations, martin lee, another generation, nathan law and joshua to see the courage of these people speaking out as they have done and to see it matters just getting worse in terms of the regime. Of course, right now were also concerned about the uyghurs in china, the tibetans, the list goes on. In terms of the uyghurs what were finding out this morning not only are they putting uyghurs in concentration camps, they are by social media and the rest, tracking uyghurs throughout the world and what their communication is with people inside. This reaches into our own, reaches into our own country. Again, ill say all freedom loving people must come together to condemn this law. We must Work Together in a multilateral way to monitor the implementation of this law and hold beijing accountable for its violations of the joint declaration and the basic law. As ive said many times over, ive said this over and over again, if we do not speak out for human rights and democratic freedoms in china, lets just talk about human rights, if we do not speak out for human rights and religious freedom in china we lose all moral authority to speak out any place if our silence is because of commerce. We refuse to speak out on human rights in china we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights any place in the world. Again, mr. Chairman, acting chairman, mr. Sherman, thank you for the recognition, thank you to mr. Mccaul and to the members for the opportunity to with the unanimous consent to express some of the views which i hold to be bipartisan in support of the people of china in this case hong kong. I yield back. Thank you. Madam speaker, i want to thank you for your decades of fighting for human rights, particularly for the people of china, and your presence here underlines for the world the importance that america puts on the subject of this hearing. Thank you. Thank you very much and thank you for mentioning the uyghurs as well. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. As a reminder to members, staff and all others physically present in the room per the guidance of the office of attending physician, masks must be worn at all times during todays proceedings and are strongly advised when a member is speaking from their microphone. Please also sanitize your seating area. The chair views these measures as a safety issue and therefore an important matter of order and decorum of this proceeding. Keep your video function on at all times if you are participating remotely, even when you are not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting themselves and please remember to mute yourself after you finish speaking. Just a few minutes before the hearing was scheduled to begin, i learned that our distinguished chair eliot engel could not attend or at least could not attend for the first portion of this hearing. He has done an outstanding job of chairing hearings year after year and i will try to fill in for him here today. I dont im trying to put together an Opening Statement and i will recognize the Ranking Member to deliver his Opening Statement after which i will recognize myself for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, madam speaker, for being here today. That shows how important this hearing is. You have been a stedfast champion of human rights and democracy around the world and if we dont youre right if we dont have moral authority here, we have it nowhere. Just i think it means a lot to us on both sides of the aisle, that you have taken the time from your busy day to be here and to be in our presence. Today is the 23rd anniversary of the handover of hong kong to the Chinese Communist party. Under the british treaty that set up this handover the people of hong kong were promised one country, two systems where they could be allowed some level of autonomy. The one country, two Systems Approach worked well for many years. Recently, the ccp began to rapidly erode the system by peeling away the rights and freedoms guaranteed to the people of hong kong. Then yesterday the ccp took a sledgehammer to one country, two systems by passing sweeping socalled National Security legislation that strips away the autonomy of hong kongers violating the terms of the british treaty. They view democracy, individual liberty and free markets as a threat and have declared war on each. Unfortunately, this wasnt the ccps only act of brutal suppression. We learned about this week. On monday the world was made aware the Chinese Communist party is using forced sterilization, forced abortion, and coercive Family Planning against ethnic minorities including the uyghur muslims. It is clear the ccp does not care about the people of china. They only care about preserving their own power. By brutally suppressing democracy in hong kong, the ccp is challenging the underlying assumptions that have guided the world sinces the end of the cold war. We sit here as the speaker said not as republicans or democrats, but as americans united in our strong support for hong kong. This is a battle between democracy and dictatorship, between liberty and tyranny, and between freedom and oppression. It is a battle that the world must win. I would like to take this opportunity to speak directly to the people of hong kong. America stands with you and america will always support you. Last year when we heard you sing our National Anthem and when we saw you carrying our american flag, we knew and we know that you were telling us we are not two people but one, both united in our belief and freedom and democracy for all. Today is not just the anniversary of the first handover of hong kong to the ccp, its also the oneyear anniversary of the heroic act by one of our witnesses here today brian leung. One year ago today, during demonstrations in hong kong, mr. Leung gave a moving speech where he revealed his identity, subjectingly subjecting himself to significant prosecution. Ive met another one of our witnesses, nathan law. Last year when we passed the hong kong human rights and democracy act he is an incredible young man who along with other democracy activists like joshua leung are risking their safety and security every day to fight for freedom. They are all commendable and im grateful to have them with us here today. As chairman engle and i said in a letter earlier this year, quoted its critical the United States use the available tools under the hong kong human rights and democracy act and other authorities to make clear to beijing its violations of International Commitments and commitments to the people of hong kong will have consequences. And i urge the administration to issue the sanctions authorized by this congress. With this hearing today, we have this opportunity, american stands in solidarity with the freedom loving people of hong kong and will continue to be a beacon of hope for all those fighting for democracy around the world. So with that, mr. Chairman, i thank you and i yield back. Thank you. Consistent with House Resolution 965 accompanying regulations staff will only mute witnesses when not under recognition and will do that for the purpose of eliminating background noise. Pursuant to notice we meet today to discuss the new National Security law that the Chinese Government has forced on the people of hong kong on the 23rd anniversary of the handover. This is beijings latest and most aggressive challenge to hong kongs autonomy. I now recognize myself for five minutes as an Opening Statement. It is important to know how we got here. In 1997, we had the adoption of the one country, two systems arrangement that guaranteed 50 years of relative autonomy to hong kong. Freedom of expression, independent judiciary, strong democratic systems, and over the past two decades hong kongs unique status has allowed it to flourish, to prosper, human capital, privileged financial position as a gateway to china with a trusted common law system of law and courts have turned hong kong into a hub of finance and trade. Historically in hong kong corruption is low, contracts are honored, judges can rule are honored, judges can reel fairly and independently, journalists and academics enjoy freedom of expression and human rights are generally respected. Hong kong has seen its success create a vibrant society. This is glaring embarrassment to the chinese mainland. One country two systems is an embarrassment if the smaller system is working much better. Now, this does not mean hong kong was perfectly free or that the system it had in place last year was perfectly democrac. But compared to the government in beijing it shows the people of china what can be done by moving in the direction of freedom. In december as chair of the asia subcommittee i hosted a Forum Political and human rights challenges in china and that hearing featured the Vice President of the City University of hong kong students union. The committee passed the resolution at my suggestion by unanimous consent last year according to the right of hong kongers to protest. The one country two systems was designed to safeguard hong kongs rule as a thriving financial center. Now hong kongers are fleeing hong kong out of fear for their safety and we should support their right to do so, though the right we really want to support is the right of all hong kongers to the level of autonomy promised in the one country two systems agreement. We need to reject this chinese violation of chinas own International Commitments and the commitments they have made to their own people. The peoples ofs of hong kong expected china to honor the commitment under the two systems part of the agreement, but over the past few years beijing has chipped away at hong kongs freedoms in o2014 when officials in beijing curtailed Voting Rights for the people of hong kong a new generation of democracy activists under the banner of the Umbrella Movement came to the forefront. Year after year, injustice after injustice a broadening coalition of hong kongers from all walks of life have taken to the streets to protest their rights. Now chinese president xi jinping has launched an unprecedented attack against hong kong, beijings National Security law undermines the very essence of hong kongs autonomy for socalled crimes against the state. So why is china willing to break these commitments . Unfortunately when we look down pennsylvania avenue we see an administration willing to in effect tell china its obligations to human rights whether it be in hong kong or whether it be the people it simply will not catch the attention of the administration. We have scandered months without speaking out at the executive level. Hong kong has been on the back burner in an effort to sell soybeans and we havent even sold the soybeans. President trump spent january and february this year praising xi personally for how he handled the coronavirus. Now, you know, he has taken the exact opposite approach. We need consistency in the white house, and we need a consistent adherence to our own standards of human rights. Im grateful to our witnesses for the insight and experience they bring us, and i will new move forward towards introducing the witnesses. Our first witness is mr. Lee, a former member of the hong kong legislative counsel. Hes the general secretary of the hong kong trade unions and vicechairman of the hong kong labor party. And why dont we hear from mr. Chairman, mr. Smith would like to make a few opening remarks if that would be acceptable. Are your opening remarks less than five minutes, mr. Mccall . Wasnt keeping time. It was three minutes. I think that would open it up to everyone here. Is there mr. Chairman, i ask unanimous consent mr. Smith be recognized for three minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you my good friend from virginia. Thank you, madam speaker for your very eloquent statement and we have worked together for well over three decades on combating human rights by china during all the other battles we were joined in a very, very bipartisan way. All of us speaking very aggressively against aiding and abetting this horrific dictatorship which has only gotten worse under xi jinping, so thank you for your leadership. Mr. Chairman, the great freedom loving people of hong kong have just had another draconian, antidemocratic law imposed upon them, and that is the socalled National Security law. It severely penalizes democracy activists and even terms like collusion are outlined in the new law, and it defines that any contact with external actors like human rights organizations, members of congress, those people like joshua wong and others and said and all we ask, xi jinping, is for freedom and thats it and live up to your own promises made in the basis of law and the joint communique between hong kong and china. They have broken their word. You know, words matter, and it is a matter of International Law that they committed for at least 50 years to having these two chinas two systems, one chi