HK citizens may miss out on UK offer
China has raised the prospect of preventing Hong Kong citizens from taking up British residency, after the United Kingdom gave the right to almost three million of them to move there permanently following Beijing’s introduction of its draconian national security law.
In fiercely worded comments, China strongly condemned the offer by British Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb. Beijing warned of a backlash.
The law, rushed through in secrecy on Tuesday night, introduced life sentences or long prison terms for vaguely defined crimes linked to secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. It sparked instant international condemnation.
Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign affairs spokesman, said: ‘‘China reaffirms that Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and no foreign country has the right to interfere. The Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.’’
He added that China ‘‘reserves the right to take further corresponding measures, and the UK shall bear all consequences arising from this’’. Asked to specify what he meant, he said: ‘‘Please wait patiently. It is not the right timing yet.’’
One diplomat with 22 years’ experience of working in and around China wondered if that might involve forcing all those trying to leave Hong Kong to fill in departure forms, and denying them permission to fly.
‘‘But that would really be to trash the joint declaration,’’ said Charles Parton, senior associate fellow at international security think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
Similar speculation was running on social media yesterday.
Zhao also took aim at Australia after it said it was also planning to offer Hong Kong citizens sanctuary, and at the United States, as the House of Representatives backed sanctions against China. That measure would hit banks like HSBC, which supported the law.
As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused China of ‘‘an unacceptable breach’’ of Hong Kong’s freedoms under the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ agreement when the colony was handed back in 1997, Downing Street indicated that sanctions were under consideration.
Such a move is backed by Tory MPs, including Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former party leader.
Johnson made clear that the row could damage Chinese tech firm Huawei’s controversial involvement in Britain’s 5G network.