A U.S. congressional body has urged Washington to “identify and remove barriers” in granting visas to Hongkongers who are fleeing the city for fear of political persecution.

The United States-China Economy and Security Review Commission, an influential advisory body to the U.S. Congress, said in its annual report on Tuesday that Beijing’s imposition of a national security law showed “profound disregard for its international commitments and obligations to the people of Hong Kong.”

China’s Communist Party was willing to “suffer international backlash and bear potentially significant economic costs to silence dissent in the territory and establish complete control over Hong Kong,” the panel wrote.

“Although Chinese and Hong Kong authorities insist the law will only target a small number of people in the territory committing the specific crimes outlined, the law’s vague provisions create a climate of fear and intimidation that severely constrains freedom of expression.”

Beijing had sought to “hollow out global governance institutions, suppress internal opposition, subjugate free peoples in Hong Kong and around China’s periphery, dominate global economic resources and project military power,” the report continued, adding that such efforts threatened the vital interests of the U.S. and other countries.

The commission proposed 19 non-binding recommendations for Congress, saying that “reciprocity” must be at the heart of the U.S.’ China policy.

Aside from its recommendation about the visas, it asked Congress to consider laws extending political asylum to Hongkongers born on or after June 30, 1997, who had no alternative form of travel document beyond a Hong Kong passport.

Congress should also direct the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to produce a report within 90 days “assessing the risk of mainland China using Hong Kong to evade or circumvent Section 301 trade enforcement actions or other U.S. trade remedies.”

The Hong Kong government on Wednesday hit back at the commission, saying that it firmly opposed the “sweeping attacks and unfounded accusations” set out in the report.

“The report is another vivid example of the blatant interference by the U.S. in Hong Kong’s affairs … Such groundless and unjust political manoeuvres will achieve nothing” but undermine Hong Kong-U.S. relations and hurt the U.S.’ own interests, a spokesperson said.

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