WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) adopted a national security law for Hong Kong:
“The CCP’s adoption of a national security law for Hong Kong essentially ends Hong Kong’s autonomy. It subjects Hong Kong to the CCP’s police-state, and puts every Hong Kong resident at risk.
“The law provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison for vaguely defined acts of ‘secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.’ As we have seen in mainland China, the CCP has a long history of using these false charges to unjustly deny citizens basic human rights.
“In light of this law, the recently announced visa sanctions and ending of U.S. defense and dual-use technologies exports are important first steps in protecting U.S. interests and supporting the Hong Kong people. As ever, the United States will stand resolute in its support of the Hong Kong people and their calls for freedom, democracy, and prosperity.”
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