U.S. Representative Christopher Smith and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley have addressed a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, expressing concerns over the convictions of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong, known as the "Hong Kong 47." They argue that these convictions represent "a significant escalation in their efforts to dismantle Hong Kong’s autonomy and stifle dissent at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)." The letter calls for financial sanctions against Hong Kong officials to hold them accountable for undermining rule of law and democracy, as well as human rights abuses.
Smith and Merkley, who chair the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, collaborated with Representative John Moolenaar and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi from the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. This is their third joint letter concerning Hong Kong.
The letter emphasizes that imposing sanctions would convey a "clear and unmistakable message" of U.S. support for Hong Kong's struggle for democracy and human rights while holding accountable those responsible for human rights violations.
Background information indicates that since 2022, these Chairs have advocated for sanctions against judges and prosecutors involved in detaining Hong Kong activists under National Security Law cases. The last set of sanctions was implemented by the Biden Administration in January 2021.
Additionally, Smith and Merkley are lead sponsors of two bipartisan bills aimed at countering efforts by Hong Kong and China's government to suppress democratic freedoms guaranteed by international treaty. These include the Transnational Repression Policy Act (S. 831 / H.R. 3654), which provides tools to hold foreign entities accountable when they target U.S. citizens, and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act (H.R. 1103 / S. 490), which could revoke diplomatic privileges granted to Hong Kong offices allegedly surveilling democracy advocates in the U.S.
