Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“Beijing’s relentless insistence on ignoring and undermining its commitments to the international community and to the people of Hong Kong is truly astonishing.

“With this latest national security legislative proposal, Beijing demonstrates that it would rather smother Hong Kong — a city of tremendous value to China and to the world — than keep its promise to give Hong Kong the latitude to manage its own internal affairs. Each time the Chinese government attempts to placate its own insecurity through heavy-handed intervention, it sparks turmoil, disruption, and chaos.

“If the National People’s Congress enacts this proposed national security legislation, its actions not only imperil Hong Kong’s special status, but Beijing’s own interests.”

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