Monday, January 09, 2023

Hong Kong Between One Country and Two Transnational Systems

 

Pix Credit here

 

Hong Kong continues to occupy that conceptual space between Chinese sovereignty and global engagement; its status as an autonomous region is meant to formally differentiate the region from metropolitan China. For the United States and its allies, however,  the further elaboration of the relationship between Chinese central authorities and their state organs and the HKSAR suggests that the functional differentiation between the autonomous region and metropolitan China has been substantially eroded. That continuities to shape the relationship between the United States, China, and the HKSAR in ways that parallel the changing relationship between the United States and the Chinese metropolitan heartland.

That reshaping was recently again in the news were it was reported that new legislation was to be introduced that would effectively erode US recognition if HKSAR autonomy for purposes of framing its relationship with theSAR that are different than those applied to PRC.

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey introduced the ‘‘Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act’’ on December 15, 2022.  Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) operate as official representative offices of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the United States and enjoy a series of privileges, exemptions, and immunities.

Senator Rubio and Representative Chris Smith introduced the bill to reevaluate the United States’ recognition of HKETOs following Hong Kong’s loss of autonomy. “Given Beijing’s takeover of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices can no longer escape the reach of the Chinese Communist Party. HKETOs now serve as a mouthpiece for the CCP. Common sense – not to mention U.S. law – advises that they be rooted out of our country altogether.” — Senator Rubio

The legislation would require the President, 30 days after enactment, to certify whether HKETOs in the United States merit the extension of privileges, exemptions, and immunities that they currently maintain. This determination by the President would be required yearly. “The bicameral bill authored by Sen. Rubio and Rep. Smith hits the bull’s eye: There’s no place in the U.S. for the propaganda arm of the Beijing-backed Hong Kong puppet regime,” said Anna Kwok, HKDC’s Executive Director. (Bill to Remove Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices from U.S. Introduced in the US Congress)

 he Text of the ‘‘Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act’’(S. 5253) follows.

 

117th CONGRESS
2d Session


S. 5253

To require the President to remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices if Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 14, 2022

Mr. Rubio introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations


A BILL

To require the President to remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices if Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act”.

SEC. 2. Certification on whether to extend certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States.

It is the policy of the United States—


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