Chris Smith

This is a blueprint to get us back to a peaceful resolution.

It is clearly in the interests of the United States to support a coordinated international effort to contain the outbreak of its source.

Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5656 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5656 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey.

This cannot be Hong Kong's future.

Hong Kong's continued autonomy and the advance of its democracy is a concern of the U.S. Congress and of freedom-loving peoples everywhere.

If given a real choice, people everywhere vote to advance representative governments that protect the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms of speech, assembly, association, and religion.

The freedoms of speech, assembly, association, and religion, and an independent judiciary, are the foundation on which Hong Kong's continued prosperity and stability are based.

There is no 'black hand' of foreign forces behind the protests, only requests for Beijing to live up to its promises.

The future of Hong Kong's democracy is truly an international concern as the presence of Lord Patten and the other witnesses here today confirms.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and to speak out whenever the universal freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and China are threatened.

We call on the Hong Kong government to exercise restraint, engage in genuine dialogue with the protesters, and to respect their peaceful calls for democracy.

Hong Kong is a test of China's willingness to comply with its international commitments.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

China made a promise to the international community and to the people of Hong Kong that they could enjoy certain freedoms and freely elect their leaders.

I commend my co-chair, Congressman Chris Smith, for working with me on this issue.

That cannot be said often enough and without enough exclamation points because unaccustomed as they are, the Chinese Government always slurs and libels those who speak the truth.

I have absolutely no doubt at all that Joshua Wong and the other students who have been supporting him with this exemplary example of how to demonstrate for principles.

I think it is extremely sad that the government in Hong Kong hasn't shown any statesmanship in trying to move toward a dialogue with the students.

There is no 'Black Hand' of foreign forces behind the protests, only requests for Beijing to live up to its promises.

Such demands will undermine an independent judiciary and make the 2017 Chief Executive election look more like an Iranian election then one that is free and fair.

Instead of keeping these promises, Beijing has decided to stack the deck against democracy and the rule of law.

I've also agreed to start a Congressional Hong Kong caucus on the House side to demonstrate that Congress is concerned about Hong Kong's autonomy.

Democrat or Republican, we care about the people of Hong Kong. We care about human rights and this is another manifestation of that kind of bipartisanship.

We stand with those who want Hong Kong to remain free, vital, prosperous, and democratic--as Beijing has long promised.