§5711 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

The United States should actively work before, on, and after July 1, 1997 to help keep Hong Kong prosperous, protect its role as an international financial center, and keep strong people-to-people ties with Hong Kong. It should seek direct agreements and links with Hong Kong in areas like the economy, trade, finance and monetary matters, aviation, shipping, communications, tourism, culture, and sports. The U.S. should keep a consulate-general in Hong Kong after June 30, 1997 and allow other U.S. official or semi-official presences there. The U.S. should invite Hong Kong to keep or open official and semi-official offices in the United States for trade, tourism, and similar matters. The United States should recognize passports and travel documents issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after June 30, 1997. When the People’s Republic of China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong after June 30, 1997, U.S. visa treatment of Hong Kong residents should not change so long as it follows the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).

Title 22, §5711

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It is the sense of the Congress that the following, which are based in part on the relevant provisions of the Joint Declaration, should be the policy of the United States with respect to its bilateral relationship with Hong Kong:

(1)The United States should play an active role, before, on, and after July 1, 1997, in maintaining Hong Kong’s confidence and prosperity, Hong Kong’s role as an international financial center, and the mutually beneficial ties between the people of the United States and the people of Hong Kong.

(2)The United States should actively seek to establish and expand direct bilateral ties and agreements with Hong Kong in economic, trade, financial, monetary, aviation, shipping, communications, tourism, cultural, sport, and other appropriate areas.

(3)The United States should seek to maintain, after June 30, 1997, the United States consulate-general in Hong Kong, together with other official and semi-official organizations, such as the United States Information Agency American Library.

(4)The United States should invite Hong Kong to maintain, after June 30, 1997, its official and semi-official missions in the United States, such as the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, the Office of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and the Hong Kong Tourist Association. The United States should invite Hong Kong to open and maintain other official or semi-official missions to represent Hong Kong in those areas in which Hong Kong is entitled to maintain relations on its own, including economic, trade, financial, monetary, aviation, shipping, communications, tourism, cultural, and sport areas.

(5)The United States should recognize passports and travel documents issued after June 30, 1997, by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

(6)The resumption by the People’s Republic of China of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong after June 30, 1997, should not affect treatment of Hong Kong residents who apply for visas to visit or reside permanently in the United States, so long as such treatment is consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.].

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in par. (6), is act June 27, 1952, ch. 477, 66 Stat. 163, which is classified principally to chapter 12 (§ 1101 et seq.) of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1101 of Title 8 and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

United States Information Agency (other than Broadcasting Board of Governors and International Broadcasting Bureau) abolished and functions transferred to Secretary of State, see section 6531 and 6532 of this title.

§5711 Bilateral ties between United States and Hong Kong