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U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) were joined by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) in issuing a joint statement after the U.S. Department of State declined to commit to barring entry by Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, into the U.S. to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in San Francisco later this year. Lee, currently sanctioned under U.S. law, was involved in activities including “coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals under the authority of the National Security Law”. The sanctions Lee is subject to prohibit his entry into the U.S.

• “Given the recent actions by the government headed by John Lee Ka-chiu, we hoped for a more definitive response from the Biden Administration. Over the past several weeks, absurd bounties were placed on eight Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders whose only ‘crime’ has been to courageously advocate for basic freedoms. At this point, a clear announcement that human rights violator John Lee will not be invited to APEC, in accordance with U.S. sanctions law, is the least the State Department can do.”

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• June 6, 2023: Rubio, Merkley, Smith, McGovern: “Chief Executive Lee is not allowed to visit the U.S.”