Contact Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the Chinese Communist Party's threats of force against protestors in Hong Kong:

"Three decades after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Chinese Communist Party appears poised for a violent crack-down on civilian protestors in Hong Kong. I hope this does not happen. But should Beijing impose martial law in Hong Kong or otherwise violate the 1984 Joint Declaration, the United States will be compelled to reassess our relationship with China in fundamental ways. Our government should be prepared to:

  • Halt trade negotiations with Beijing
  • Sanction senior Chinese Communist Party officials
  • Revoke the U.S. visas of Party leaders and their families
  • Curtail student visas for Chinese nationals
  • Demand the expulsion of Chinese officials from leadership positions in international organizations
  • Revise the Hong Kong Policy Act

The Tiananmen Square Massacre highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's brutality and treachery, which they have employed for thirty years to steal our jobs and threaten our security. If Beijing cracks down on Hong Kong, the United States ought not make the same mistake again."