Story highlights Senators seek to bring China's political influence in Hong Kong under scrutinyBill would bring punitive measures against anti-democracy actors in the cityHong Kong (CNN) Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has announced a bill aimed at buttressing Hong Kong's autonomy in the face of a Chinese administration increasingly bullish about interfering in the territory's affairs. The former Republican presidential candidate co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Tom Cotton R-Arizona, with the aim of demonstrating support for Hong Kong's autonomy as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. JUST WATCHED Hong Kong voters elect pro-democracy activists Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hong Kong voters elect pro-democracy activists 02:39Rubio, who is co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said in a statement that the bill "would renew the United States' historical commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong at a time when its autonomy is increasingly under assault." The bill comes about after it emerged last year that five booksellers from the SAR were either arrested in China or taken into the mainland by Chinese authorities. One bookseller was abducted in Thailand and another from the SAR itself.

Source: CNN November 17, 2016 11:00 UTC