Sen. Cruz: China Undeniably Violated Hong Kong’s Autonomy

HOUSTON, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the Trump administration notified Congress that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China as a result of actions by the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China to deepen their control of the region and, under U.S. law advanced by Sen. Cruz, there should be a reevaluation of U.S. policy toward Hong Kong:

"This is a sad day for liberty. The Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China have now undeniably violated Hong Kong's autonomy at the expense of the precious freedoms the people of Hong Kong fought tirelessly and bravely to preserve. This unacceptable aggression is exactly why I introduced the Hong Kong Policy Reevaluation Act, a version of which was signed into law last year. As the Trump administration's actions make clear, America will not stand by and allow tyrants in China to exploit the special treatment Hong Kong received under U.S. law. We will stand strong with our allies and hold the line against the spread of communism."

In June 2019, Sen. Cruz introduced the Hong Kong Policy Reevaluation Act of 2019, which requires the State Department to report on whether China was eroding Hong Kong's autonomy, and alter U.S. policy if it was. A version of the bill was signed into law in November 2019 as part of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

In October 2019, as part of his Indo-Pacific ‘Friends and Allies' tour, Sen. Cruz met with pro-democracy activists, dissidents, and protest leaders in Hong Kong and expressed his support for those fighting to protect Hong Kong's autonomy, free speech, and basic human rights.

Last week, Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling for a fundamental reevaluation of the United States' relationship with China. Read more about Sen. Cruz's legislative efforts here. Watch his full remarks here.

###