US House of Representatives passed Hong Kong human rights bill - a clear criticism for China

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米下院、香港人権法案を可決　中国への非難鮮明

2019.10.16 Wed posted at 13:05 JST

香港でデモ激化

（ＣＮＮ） 米下院は１５日、民主化を求める香港での大規模デモを擁護する「香港人権・民主主義法案」を可決した。警察がデモの鎮圧強化に動くなか、中国政府に対する非難を明確に打ち出した形だ。

香港では今週初めにデモ隊が街路へ繰り出し、米議会に向けて上記の法案を通過させるよう要求していた。米議会で党派を超えた支持を集める同法案は、発声投票で可決した。

下院のペロシ議長は「上下両院の民主党ならびに共和党議員は香港の人々と団結して立ち上がる」「米国が中国の人権問題に対して商業的な利益のために声を上げないとすれば、我々はすべての道徳的権威を失うことになる。そうなれば世界のあらゆる場所で起きている人権問題に発言できない事態となる」と強調した。

そのうえで今回の香港人権・民主主義法案の可決は、民主主義を守る米国の取り組みを再確認するものだと述べた。

同法案は、年次報告書によって香港の自治が十分に機能しているかどうかを検証することを義務付ける。この検証に基づき、米国の法が定めた香港への優遇措置の妥当性を判断する。

また香港での人権弾圧に故意に関わったとみなされた人物に対し、米大統領が制裁や渡航制限措置を科す手順も明示している。

香港の人権をめぐっては上院でも今後、下院と若干内容を異にする別個の法案が採決にかけられる見通しだ。

Translation

 (CNN) The US House of Representatives on the 15th passed the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Bill" to defend a large-scale demonstration in Hong Kong that was seeking democratization. It was a form of clear blaming not only the police’s move to strengthen demonstration suppression, but also the Chinese government.

Earlier this week in Hong Kong, demonstrators took to the streets and demanded the US Congress to pass the above bill. The bill, which attracted support beyond the factions in the US Congress, was passed by a voiced voting.

 Chairman of the House of Representatives Pelosi stressed that“the Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives will stand up together with the people of Hong Kong”, “If the US does not speak out for commercial interests over China's human rights issue, we will lose all moral authority, and then we will be unable to speak about human rights issues everywhere in the world.”

She then said the passage of the Hong Kong Bill on Human Rights and Democracy reaffirmed U.S. efforts to protect democracy.

The bill required an annual report to verify that Hong Kong's autonomy was functioning well. Based on this verification, the appropriateness of the preferential treatment for Hong Kong as stipulated by US laws would be determined.

It also clarified the procedures by which the US President would impose sanctions and restrictions on traveling for people deemed to have been deliberately involved in the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong.

As for the future human rights in Hong Kong, the Senate was expected to vote on a separate bill that would be slightly different from the House of Representatives.

              So, the American politician are standing on the side of the demonstrators in Hong Kong. For a full understanding on US policy towards China from a historical perspective, readers may refer to my blog dated 29^th November 2009 regarding a book entitled “Chinese White Paper: August 1949” compiled by the US Department of State in the middle of the last century. This book was first published in 1949. At that time, it was the final stage of Communist victory in China's civil war fought some 70 years ago in mainland China between CCP and KMT. At this historical moment, the US Department of State chose to let the record speak for itself on how the US formulated its policy towards China. To me, the most interesting part of the book was a 400-page summary of American China policy from 1844 to 1949. Through these pages, readers could see how Sino-US relation developed up to 1949 through the American eyes.