Media Contact: 202-226-8467

Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) issued the following statement about China’s threats of military intervention against protesters in Hong Kong:

“30 years after the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal massacre of peaceful democratic protestors in Tiananmen Square, we are concerned that China would consider again brutally putting down peaceful protests. We urge China to avoid making such a mistake, which would be met with universal condemnation and swift consequences.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has called upon Beijing to cease encroaching on Hong Kong’s autonomy — it is Beijing’s actions that are at the root of the frustration among the people of Hong Kong. No foreign powers are fomenting this dissent. It is the result of Beijing’s successive violations of their commitment to honor the will of the people of Hong Kong.

We have deep respect for the brave efforts of Hong Kong people from every walk of life who have demonstrated their clear desire for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

“We also condemn authorities who have harassed a State Department diplomat in Hong Kong for simply doing their job in accordance with the rights and responsibilities of diplomats all over the world. As the Department has said, these are the actions of a ‘thuggish regime.’”

###