London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Hong Kong Activists Ask Lawmakers to Block U.S. Companies From Exporting Equipment Used Against Protesters

Hong Kong Activists Ask Lawmakers to Block U.S. Companies From Exporting Equipment Used Against Protesters

Activists involved in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong appealed to U.S. lawmakers Tuesday to support their fight by banning the export of American police equipment that is used against demonstrators and by more closely monitoring Chinese efforts to undermine civil liberties in the city.

The activists, including several young people who have emerged as prominent figures in a leaderless movement, testified before a U.S. government commission set up by Congress to monitor human rights in China.

Republicans and Democrats on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China expressed their support Tuesday for protests that began in June with a since-withdrawn bill to extradite people arrested in the semiautonomous Chinese territory to China for prosecution.

“The heart of the discontent is that Hong Kong’s political leaders do not represent and are not accountable to the people. Instead, Hong Kong’s leaders are beholden to the Chinese government,” said Rep. James McGovern, D-Massachusetts.

The former British colony has been allowed certain autonomy and freedoms since it was returned to China in 1997 as a territory, with a “one country, two systems” policy that was supposed to ensure a smooth political transition.

Under U.S. law, the territory of Hong Kong receives special treatment in matters of trade, customs, sanctions enforcement, law enforcement cooperation and more. China has benefited from this, and lawmakers believe, used it to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions.

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-New Jersey, has authored legislation that places Beijing on “annual notice” that they will lose Hong Kong’s special economic and trade status if its autonomy continues to erode.

Smith’s bill would also allow qualified Hong Kong residents to work or study in the U.S. even if they have been arrested for participating in nonviolent protests.

Earlier this month, Smith, McGovern and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., put forward legislation that would block U.S. company exports of police weapons and equipment to Hong Kong.

Joshua Wong, a Hong Kong activist who has been jailed multiple times, told lawmakers that Hong Kong is a “police state,” where every demonstration is automatically an illegal assembly that results in violent police arrest and where protesters gather amid a mounting Chinese military troop present across the border.

“The present state of affairs reveals Beijing’s utter inability to understand, let alone govern, a free society,” Wong said.

Activist Sunny Cheung told lawmakers that young protesters face riot police carrying letters with their last will.

“They believe the only limits to their freedom are their deaths,” Cheung said. “We fight for freedom from a sense of duty and dignity.”

Denise Ho, a Hong Kong-based pop artist who has testified on the issue before the United Nations, told lawmakers that more than 1,500 people in Hong Kong, including a 12-year-old child, have been arrested. Many more have been injured by police tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and batons.

Ho said many artists in Hong Kong, companies, as well as institutions in nations like Australia and Canada have backed down from supporting the Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters because of China’s intimidation.

China has also used social media campaigns , cyberattacks and technology to target increasingly paranoid protesters, and present them as the problem to the West.

Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, ascribed the violence in Hong Kong to the protesters at a Tuesday briefing in Beijing. She derided Western politicians meeting with Hong Kong “separatists” at cocktail parties and now in the United States.

“Hong Kong is China’s internal affair,” she said. “No foreign government, organization or individual can interfere. We advise them to have a clear understanding of the situation and pull out their dirty hands from Hong Kong.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×