Hong Kong Autonomy Act This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy. Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system with protections for civil rights such as freedom of speech. This arrangement is enshrined in (1) the Joint Declaration, a 1984 treaty pertaining to the United Kingdom's transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China; and (2) the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document. The Department of State shall report annually to Congress information about (1) foreign individuals and entities that materially contributed to China's failure to comply with the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law; and (2) foreign financial institutions that knowingly conducted a significant transaction with such identified individuals and entities. An individual, entity, or financial institution may be excluded from this report for various reasons, such as to protect an intelligence source. The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on an individual or entity named in a report, and visa-blocking sanctions on a named individual. The President shall impose various sanctions on a financial institution named in a report, such as prohibiting the institution from receiving loans from a U.S. financial institution. The President may waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. Congress may override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
AsiaBanking and financial institutions regulationChinaCongressional oversightCorporate finance and managementForeign and international bankingForeign loans and debtForeign propertyHong KongHuman rightsIntelligence activities, surveillance, classified informationInternational monetary system and foreign exchangeLegislative rules and procedureNews media and reportingPresidents and presidential powers, Vice PresidentsProtest and dissentRule of law and government transparencySanctionsSovereignty, recognition, national governance and statusTrade restrictionsU.S. and foreign investmentsVisas and passportsWar and emergency powers
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
USA116th CongressS-3798| Senate
| Updated: 6/29/2020
Hong Kong Autonomy Act This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy. Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system with protections for civil rights such as freedom of speech. This arrangement is enshrined in (1) the Joint Declaration, a 1984 treaty pertaining to the United Kingdom's transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China; and (2) the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document. The Department of State shall report annually to Congress information about (1) foreign individuals and entities that materially contributed to China's failure to comply with the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law; and (2) foreign financial institutions that knowingly conducted a significant transaction with such identified individuals and entities. An individual, entity, or financial institution may be excluded from this report for various reasons, such as to protect an intelligence source. The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on an individual or entity named in a report, and visa-blocking sanctions on a named individual. The President shall impose various sanctions on a financial institution named in a report, such as prohibiting the institution from receiving loans from a U.S. financial institution. The President may waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. Congress may override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
AsiaBanking and financial institutions regulationChinaCongressional oversightCorporate finance and managementForeign and international bankingForeign loans and debtForeign propertyHong KongHuman rightsIntelligence activities, surveillance, classified informationInternational monetary system and foreign exchangeLegislative rules and procedureNews media and reportingPresidents and presidential powers, Vice PresidentsProtest and dissentRule of law and government transparencySanctionsSovereignty, recognition, national governance and statusTrade restrictionsU.S. and foreign investmentsVisas and passportsWar and emergency powers