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![handle is hein.crs/govekhs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service
informing the legislative debate since 1914
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices
January 20, 2023
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) are the
official representative offices of the Government of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of
the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China). Following
the PRC's 2020 imposition of a national security law
(NSL) on Hong Kong, some Members of Congress have
questioned whether Hong Kong remains sufficiently
autonomous under U.S. law (as described below) to justify
having its own offices in the United States, separate from
the PRC's official missions. The Government of the
HKSAR maintains four HKETOs in mainland China and
fourteen additional offices around the world, including in
New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. They
report to the Commerce and Economic Development
Bureau overseen by the HKSAR's Secretary of Finance.
Background
The PRC committed to allowing Hong Kong to enjoy a
high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence
[sic] affairs as part of the 1984 Sino-British Joint
Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong (Joint
Declaration), the international treaty under which the
United Kingdom agreed to transfer sovereignty over Hong
Kong to China in July 1997. (See CRS In Focus IF12070,
China Primer: Hong Kong.)
The Joint Declaration stipulates that, following the 1997
handover, Hong Kong will retain the status of a free port
and a separate customs territory. It further states that the
HKSAR may establish mutually beneficial economic
relations with the United Kingdom and other countries, and
that [u]sing the name of 'Hong Kong, China,' the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region may on its own
maintain and develop economic and cultural relations and
conclude relevant agreements with states, regions and
relevant inter-national organisations. For example, Hong
Kong maintains its status as an independent member of the
WTO as a customs territory, with its own vote and group
memberships nominally separate from those of Beijing.
Role of HKETOs
According to the HKSAR's official 2021 Yearbook,
HKETOs promote Hong Kong's economic and trade
interests [ ... ] by enhancing understanding of Hong Kong
among opinion-formers, monitoring developments that may
affect Hong Kong's economic and trade interests, and
liaising with government bodies, politicians, businesses,
think tanks and the media. Each HKETO is headed by a
director, appointed by the HKSAR Government from its
civil service. In the United States, the HKSAR has
HKETOs in New York, San Francisco, and Washington,
D.C. The Hong Kong Commissioner to the United States
serves as the most senior representative of the HKSAR and
oversees the work of the three offices.
Overseas HKETOs operate autonomously from the PRC's
foreign missions except in the realm of consular affairs.
PRC diplomatic and consular missions can assist overseas
Hong Kong residents who are PRC citizens with lost travel
documents, evacuation services, and notarial and
authentication services. The Government of the HKSAR
may issue travel documents for entry into and exit from
Hong Kong but does so with authorization of the PRC
government under the terms of the Joint Declaration.
HKETO Responsibilities
Trade Promotion: HKETO interacts with U.S.
policymakers, Members of Congress, local governments,
and business groups to promote bilateral trade between
Hong Kong and the United States.
. Cultural Diplomacy: HKETO hosts regular events in
various cities in the United States to promote artists and
musicians, as well as other cultural productions from
Hong Kong.
Official Travel for Hong Kong Government
Officials: HKETO organizes overseas travel and
arranges meetings with local policymakers and business
leaders for senior Hong Kong government officials.
Non-Emergency Assistance to Hong Kong
Residents Abroad: Assists Hong Kong residents in the
United States with non-consular issues. Consular issues,
such as lost travel documents, are handled by PRC
embassies or consulates.
H KETOs in the United States
U.S. policy toward Hong Kong is guided by the United
States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (USHKPA; P.L. 102-
383). The USHKPA states that, as a matter of policy, the
United States should invite Hong Kong to maintain [ ... ]
its official and semi-official missions in the United States,
such as the [HKETO] and the Office of the Hong Kong
Trade Development Council (HKTDC), a statutory body
established by the Government of the HKSAR to promote,
assist, and develop trade. The USHKPA further states, 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,
and more. Prior to the PRC's imposition of a NSL on Hong
Kong in 2020, the HKSAR and the United States
maintained various bilateral agreements on issues ranging
from counternarcotics cooperation to international tax
compliance.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govekhs0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)