Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§5714 Transportation

Title 22 › Chapter 66— UNITED STATES-HONG KONG POLICY › Subchapter I— POLICY › § 5714

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

After June 30, 1997, the United States should keep treating Hong Kong as an international transport center. It should continue to accept ships and airplanes registered in Hong Kong. U.S. commercial ships must be free to call at Hong Kong under U.S. and Hong Kong law. Airplanes registered in Hong Kong should be recognized under the applicable laws of the People’s Republic of China. The United States should negotiate air service agreements directly with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region when the Government of the People’s Republic of China authorizes it. It must renew or change agreements that existed on June 30, 1997 and make new ones for flights to, from, or through Hong Kong that do not involve other parts of the People’s Republic of China. The United States should accept Hong Kong-issued airline licenses and certificates for those Hong Kong-only services and try to make the agreements procompetitive.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §5714

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 after June 30, 1997, with respect to transportation from Hong Kong:

(1)Recognizing Hong Kong’s position as an international transport center, the United States should continue to recognize ships and airplanes registered in Hong Kong and should negotiate air service agreements directly with Hong Kong.

(2)The United States should continue to recognize ships registered by Hong Kong.

(3)United States commercial ships, in accordance with applicable United States and Hong Kong law, should remain free to port in Hong Kong.

(4)The United States should continue to recognize airplanes registered by Hong Kong in accordance with applicable laws of the People’s Republic of China.

(5)The United States should recognize licenses issued by the Hong Kong to Hong Kong airlines.

(6)The United States should recognize certificates issued by the Hong Kong to United States air carriers for air service involving travel to, from, or through Hong Kong which does not involve travel to, from, or through other parts of the People’s Republic of China.

(7)The United States should negotiate at the appropriate time directly with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, acting under authorization from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, to renew or amend all air service agreements existing on June 30, 1997, and to conclude new air service agreements affecting all flights to, from, or through the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which do not involve travel to, from, or through other parts of the People’s Republic of China.

(8)The United States should make every effort to ensure that the negotiations described in paragraph (7) lead to procompetitive air service agreements.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 5714

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60