US lawmakers step up call for action on HK

The Hong Kong government strongly rejected the lawmakers' claims. Image: Shutterstock

US lawmakers on Wednesday renewed their call for President Donald Trump's administration to put pressure on Beijing to ensure that Hong Kong's autonomy is preserved.



In a wide-ranging annual report, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which tracks human rights in the country, also voiced alarm at Beijing's incarceration of more than one million Uighurs and other Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.



In a section on Hong Kong, the commission said it had "observed a further erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental freedoms under the 'one country, two systems' framework.



It urged the US administration to communicate to Hong Kong and Beijing officials that the undermining of the SAR's autonomy would threaten its separate treatment under US law and called on the White House to fully enact the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.



The Hong Kong government issued a lengthy statement refuting the report.



A spokesman said: "The HKSAR government expressed strong opposition to the enactment of the 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act' in the US.



"The Act clearly intervenes in Hong Kong's internal affairs. It is unwarranted, sends an erroneous signal to violent protesters, and harms the relations and common interests between Hong Kong and the US."



Senator Marco Rubio, a co-chair of the commission, said lawmakers across the partisan divide wanted to prioritise human rights but acknowledged that the White House was also concerned about trade.



"I do think that, by and large, they are supportive of what we are saying but, again, the proof will be in the implementation" of the act, Rubio said. (RTHK/AFP)