Letter questions whether the easing of human rights penalties was a concession to the PRC in trade negotiations
Washington, DC — Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Ranking Member of the Congressional-Commission on China, and Ro Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and six other House Members sent a letter to President Trump expressing serious concern about his decision to allow an Executive Order to lapse. The decision resulted in sanctions relief for Chinese and Hong Kong officials complicit in Beijing’s dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy.
“The lapse of the national emergency has already resulted in significant changes to the sanctions status of dozens of Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and it raises serious questions about the durability of U.S. policy toward Hong Kong that we believe warrant a direct response from the administration,”wrote the Members of Congress.“In effect, this amounts to a downgrade in sanctions exposure for 39 individuals, including the sitting Chief Executive and Chief Secretary of Hong Kong.”
In his first term, President Trump issued Executive Order 13936 to employ emergency authorities to strip Hong Kong of its preferential trade and export-control treatment it had previously enjoyed as a distinct customs territory and authorize sanctions against individuals. In July 2026, President Trump declined to renew the Executive Order, thereby lifting sanctions on key individuals and sending a signal that the loss of Hong Kong’s autonomy is no longer a major concern for the U.S. government.
“We are also concerned about the circumstances surrounding this decision. The PRC’s Ministry of Commerce has publicly stated that the non-renewal implements understandings reached during the U.S.-PRC economic and trade consultations in Madrid, and that the United States made commitments concerning Hong Kong and investment-related issues during those talks,”wrote the Members of Congress.“If accurate, this would mean that sanctions relief for officials responsible for prosecuting pro-democracy activists was used as a bargaining chip in unrelated trade negotiations.”
The Members requested answers from the president about the decision, including justification for easing sanctions on complicit individuals, whether the decision was part of any quid-pro-quo with PRC officials, and whether the administration is committed to securing the release of publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
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