Committee News
The CFHK Foundation released A Policy Roadmap to Support the People of Hong Kong, which details how to hold the CCP and Hong Kong authorities accountable for deteriorating conditions in Hong Kong, provide support for those who remain in Hong Kong, and offer relief for those forced to flee. The CFHK Foundation’s Washington Director Olivia Enos said, “Every day that the US Congress does not take action to safeguard Hong Kongers is another day that political prisoners remain in jail, freedom remains under threat, and liberties are encroached upon.” The CFHK Foundation and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation co-hosted a conversation with Nury Turkel, Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, about how the US government can combat the deteriorating state of religious freedom in Hong Kong. “We look at the way the CCP accuses Cardinal Joseph Zen and Jimmy Lai. The regime is so fearful. I worry that what we see now is just the tip of the iceberg, and we must keep talking about this," stated Nury Turkel.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted a panel discussion about the future of business in Hong Kong, where Olivia Enos spoke about strengthening the Hong Kong diaspora around the world and tackling the CCP’s interference in foreign countries.
The CFHK Foundation met with a variety of officials in Washington to discuss the CCP’s infiltration into the US and how to best support Hong Kongers on US soil. We urge Congress to continue calling attention to and leveraging tools to fight against the CCP’s repressive actions in Hong Kong.
The CFHK Foundation met with fellow campaigners and supporters of Hong Kong in Washington DC. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with key activists to defend freedom in Hong Kong.
CFHK Foundation President Mark Clifford spoke with Carmen Wu at Radio Free Asia’s Cantonese Service about the need to free political prisoners such as Jimmy Lai and encouraged journalists covering Hong Kong to press on to defend freedom worldwide.
Following Glasgow University’s Confucius Institute’s sponsorship of an event at the China-Britain Business Council’s (CBBC) annual awards ceremony, the CFHK Foundation called out the UK’s failure to follow through on its promise to eliminate Confucius Institutes. “Scottish universities’ Confucius Institutes are promoting trade and investment while students in Hong Kong are being imprisoned for peaceful protest and speaking the truth,” said the CFHK Foundation’s President, Mark Clifford. Glasgow University’s Confucius Institute’s sponsorship of an event at the CBBC’s awards evening flouts the UK government’s response to the CFHK Foundation and the Henry Jackson Society’s Confucius Institutes report which included Rishi Sunak’s vowing that the UK would eliminate Confucius Institutes in higher education, reported The Scotsman. The CFHK Foundation’s President Mark Clifford commented, “Now is not the time for the British government to reverse its policy promises.”
Jimmy Lai
Writing in the Union of Catholic Asian News, Hong Kong Watch Co-founder and Chief Executive Benedict Rogers urged Pope Francis to meet with Jimmy Lai’s son Sebastien Lai. He also called for the international community to remember Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners during the Lunar New Year.
UK-China Relations
The Wall Street Journal called out Rishi Sunak for not speaking out against the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai during Prime Minister Questions earlier this month. The newspaper stated that the prime minister should immediately call attention to Mr Lai’s case, as he is a falsely detained British citizen. More than 40 universities in the UK are partnering with institutions linked to the CCP. Alicia Kearns MP told The Times, “Pleading ignorance will no longer cut it…universities must be clear-eyed about [their relationships].” Scottish universities were warned against the infiltration of the CCP, according to The Times. The UK government should take immediate action to fulfill Rishi Sunak’s campaign promise to remove Confucius Institutes from the UK to safeguard civil liberties.
US-China Relations
Global News reported that Canada’s special immigration program for Hong Kongers will expire on February 7. The CFHK Foundation urges Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Office to extend this program to protect Hong Kongers from the CCP’s tightening grip. The Biden administration announced the extension of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program which will provide support for Hong Kongers who do not want to return to Hong Kong for fear of persecution. The CFHK Foundation’s Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Frances Hui, said, “It is a sigh of relief for the Hong Kong community to know that we can safely remain in the US.”
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