Ocean County Leader

U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) has reintroduced the "Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act," aiming to reassess the diplomatic status granted to Hong Kong’s three representative offices in the United States. The bill, designated HR 2661, seeks a reevaluation by the State Department of the diplomatic privileges extended to these offices.

Smith expressed concern over the change in governance of Hong Kong, stating, "At one time, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) represented a city whose prosperity was based on its protection of the fundamental human rights and freedom of the Hong Kong people--but the Hong Kong all of us knew and respected is gone. The city is now governed by Chinese Communist Party puppets who have become as repressive as their masters in Beijing.” Smith further claimed, “HKETOs are pushing out Chinese Communist Party propaganda and spying on Hong Kongers living in the United States—this must stop. Beijing should not have three extra diplomatic posts in the United States to do its bidding.”

The HKETOs in Washington DC, New York, and San Francisco were initially granted diplomatic privileges in the late 1990s. Smith noted a shift in autonomy following the imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong by Beijing in 2020. Over 1,500 political prisoners are currently detained in Hong Kong, with only Burma and Belarus imprisoning more in recent years.

Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA) is joining the effort as an original cosponsor of the bill. Both Smith and McGovern hold leadership roles in the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The bill successfully passed the House in the previous Congress but did not advance in the Senate.

The proposed legislation requires the Secretary of State to assess if the HKETOs deserve their current diplomatic privileges annually. If deemed unwarranted, the President could terminate their operations. Restrictions would also be applied to federal entities entering contracts that present Hong Kong positively in terms of human rights. The Smithsonian has collaborated with HKETOs in the past on cultural initiatives.

In related actions, Smith and colleagues have reintroduced the "Jimmy Lai Way Act" (H.R. 2522), proposing to rename the street in front of the HKETO in Washington DC in recognition of the entrepreneur and democracy advocate.