US congressional report calls for bilateral probe into how China is upholding Hong Kong Basic Law

Jennifer Ngo, scmp.com

Annual write-up cites concerns over Hong Kong’s universal suffrage, press freedom and academic freedom

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Pro-democracy lawmakers signalling their intention to vote against Beijing-backed political reform in June. Photo: AP

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Excerpt:

A joint US-UK investigation into China’s adherence to the Basic Law regarding Hong Kong since the city’s handover in 1997 was urged by a commission on US-China affairs in a report to the US Congress yesterday.

The annual report compiled by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission highlighted Hong Kong’s political turmoil over universal suffrage, press freedom and academic freedom. It urged the US congress to “engage parliamentarians from the United Kingdom in an interparliamentary review” over whether China had upheld promises made in the Basic Law “with specific attention to the rule of law, progress in achieving universal suffrage, and press freedom”. ...

The commission recommended that America’s national legislative body urge the US State Department to “increase its public diplomacy efforts” in Hong Kong to support press freedom, media independence and academic freedom, this in addition to setting up an interparliamentary review.

In response to the report’s recommendations, Hong Kong’sConstitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said in a statement: “Foreign governments and legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of Hong Kong.” ...