Trump signs the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act

The freedom loving people of Hong Kong are celebrating the support of the United States this Thanksgiving Day thanks to President Trump’s signing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a law that our Congressman Chris Smith has been championing since 2014.

Hong Kong protestors hold a Thanksgiving Day demonstration to thank the U.S. after President @realDonaldTrump signed bills to back them over Beijing
pic.twitter.com/LsLlm4jInt

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 28, 2019

The law, was signed by the President yesterday,

Directs the Secretary of State to certify to Congress annually whether Hong Kong continues to deserve special treatment under U.S. law different from mainland China in such matters as trade, customs, sanctions enforcement, law enforcement cooperation, and protection of human rights and the rule of law.

Encourages the State Department not to deny entry visas based on the applicants’ arrest or detention for participating in nonviolent protest activities in Hong Kong.

Requires an annual report from the Commerce Department on whether the Hong Kong government adequately enforces U.S. export controls and sanctions laws including those goods and services transshipped to North Korea, Iran or other countries relating to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, violations of human rights and narcotics trafficking and more.

Requires an assessment of whether U.S. origin items including software, technology and services have been transferred from Hong Kong to China in violation of U.S. law and have been used by China for mass surveillance, predictive policing, or for the social credit system.

The social credit system is totalitarian “brave new world” system scheduled for implementation by 2020 that will use public records, online activity and other tools of surveillance to aggregate data on every Chinese citizen and business and use that data to monitor, shape and rate financial, social, religious or political behaviors.

The act,

Requires the Secretary of State to submit a strategy to Congress to protect U.S. citizens and businesses in Hong Kong from the erosion of autonomy and the rule of law because of actions taken by the Chinese Communist governments.

Requires the President to identify and sanction persons in Hong Kong or in mainland China—with visa denial responsible for the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and serious abuses of human rights.

And it contains a waiver provision that helps ensure that our actions protect the great people of Hong Kong and enhance Hong Kong’s autonomy rather than inadvertently harming it.

“The enactment of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act—which was expected and greatly welcomed—makes it abundantly clear that the Trump Administration, the United States Congress, and the American people stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong.

“Xi Jining should understand that the US is not kidding about human rights. Beating, torturing and jailing of democracy activists is wrong and this historic legislation lets China know that respecting fundamental human rights is paramount.

“Tragically, under President Xi Jinping, human rights abuse throughout China has significantly worsened including the pervasive use of torture, religious persecution , human trafficking and genocide against Muslim Uighurs. We have always believed that every person in China deserves better than the brutality so many endure and the systematic violations of their universally recognized human rights.

“Under the new law, there will be strong sanctions, and other ramifications, for the crackdown and abuse of power.

“China is an export economy. If they lose trading benefits because of their deterioration in respecting autonomy and basic human rights, it will be a catastrophic blow to the economy in China.”