/U.S.: Congress Launches Bipartisan.......>

HONG KONG: /U.S.: Congress Launches Bipartisan Bill to Give Refugee Status to

Certain Hong Kong Residents (WSJ)

- Lawmakers of both parties launched a bill to give refugee status to Hong Kong

residents at risk of persecution under the Chinese territory's new

national-security law, which local rights activists and many Western countries

have decried as a tool for Beijing to suppress civil liberties in the

semiautonomous city-state. The bill, introduced hours after the text of the new

security law was released, is being led by Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Bob

Menendez (D., N.J.) in the Senate and John Curtis (R., Utah) and Joaquin Castro

(D., Texas) in the House of Representatives, along with around a dozen

co-sponsors from both chambers. The legislation would require the State

Department to designate as refugees of special humanitarian concern Hong Kong

residents who suffered persecution, or have a well-founded fear of it, due to

their expression of political opinions or peaceful participation in political

activities.

- Link: https://tinyurl.com/ybgpcts7