US National Interest in Hong Kong

Because the US Congress funds the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the Congressional Research Service (CRS) regularly updates Congress on the progress of NED programs, including those targeting Hong Kong. A lot of American taxpayer’s money is being spent on such programs, so it is important to ensure they are being spent wisely.

Despite the fact such programs violate Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the US Congress circumvents this inconvenient piece of international law by invoking national interest

This is an extract from CRS Report R44031entitled: Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: The 2017 Election Reforms, dated June 9, 2015¹:

US National Interest in Hong Kong

The prospects for democratic election reforms in Hong Kong are of potential interest to Congress for several reasons:

(1) First, the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-383) states:

“Support for democratization is a fundamental principle of U.S. foreign policy.

As such, it naturally applies to United States policy toward Hong Kong.”

(2) Second, how China handles the possible democratic election reforms in Hong Kong is one indicator of its commitment to its “one country, two systems” policy as it applies to Hong Kong, as well as its tolerance of political reform in general.

(3) Third, Hong Kong plays an important role for U.S. economic interests in Asia. If the Chinese and Hong Kong governments are unable to formulate CE election reforms acceptable to Legco and the people of Hong Kong, possibly continued and intensified political unrest could harm Hong Kong’s ability to function as an economic hub for U.S. interests in Asia.

(4) Fourth, the resolution of Hong Kong’s political reforms may have an impact on relations between China and Taiwan.

Congressional hearings on the political situation in Hong Kong

The political situation in Hong Kong was the subject of the following hearings during the 113th Congress:

(a)    The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) held a hearing entitled, “The Future of Democracy in Hong Kong,” on November 20, 2014.

(b)   The House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a hearing entitled, “Hong Kong: A Broken Promise?” on December 2, 2014.

(c)    The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs held a hearing entitled, “Evaluating the Impact of the ‘Umbrella Movement,’” on December 3, 2014.

Reference 

¹Congressional Research Service: CRS Report R44031 - Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: The 2017 Election Reforms (June 9, 2015). CRS Report 44031