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

“Beijing is considering very serious actions regarding Hong Kong, and indeed the fate of the city hangs in the balance. However, the U.S. response to the Chinese government’s actions must be decisive, clear, and taken to protect U.S. national interests and to support autonomy and democratic freedoms in Hong Kong provided under international law. U.S. policy toward Hong Kong should not be a pawn in whatever games Secretary Pompeo or President Trump is playing with Beijing.

“The Administration should be open about their intentions with Congress and the American people. But as usual with this administration, Congress has been kept out of the loop, in spite of strong, demonstrated bipartisan support for Hong Kong. As the Administration considers next steps, it is essential for Secretary Pompeo to work with Congress as is required by law, including both the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 and the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1997.”

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