Sec. 3. Statement of policy
315 words·~1 min read·
/bill/113/s/2922/is/section-3A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the policy of the United States— to reaffirm the principles and objectives set forth in the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, namely that— the United States has a strong interest in the continued vitality, prosperity, and stability of Hong Kong ; support for democratization is a fundamental principle of United States foreign policy ; the human rights of the people of Hong Kong are of great importance to the United States and are directly relevant to United States interests in Hong Kong ; human rights serve as a basis for Hong Kong’s continued economic prosperity ; and Hong Kong must remain sufficiently autonomous from the People’s Republic of China to justify a different treatment under a particular law of the United States, or any provision thereof, from that accorded the People’s Republic of China; to support the democratic aspirations of the people of Hong Kong, as guaranteed to them by the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; to urge the Government of the People's Republic of China to uphold its commitments to Hong Kong, including allowing the people of Hong Kong to rule Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy and without undue interference, and ensuring that Hong Kong voters freely enjoy the right to elect the Chief Executive and all members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council by universal suffrage; to support the establishment by 2017 of a genuine democratic option to freely and fairly nominate and elect the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and the establishment by 2020 of open and direct democratic elections for all members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council; and to support press freedom and journalistic independence, including the continuation of international broadcasting programming in Cantonese that is readily accessible to Cantonese speaking populations in China and in Hong Kong.