UK’S ‘path to citizenship’ for three million Hongkongers
Nicola Smith
Ben Riley-smith
THE British government has broadened its offer of a “path to citizenship” to include almost three million Hong Kong residents, up from 350,000, as it ramps up pressure against China’s move to crush dissent in the territory.
Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, had already made the “unprecedented” offer to extend the visa rights of 350,000 existing British national overseas (BNO) passport holders unless China suspended its plans to impose a new national security law on Hong Kong, before extending it last night.
The news came as Donald Trump ordered the removal of exemptions that give Hong Kong special status in the US, in retaliation to Beijing’s move.
The US president said in a White House press conference yesterday that China’s legislation, which critics have said will undermine free protests in the territory, was “deeply troubling”.
Mr Trump said Hong Kong was no longer sufficiently autonomous from mainland China to enjoy the special privileges that have been in place since it left British control in 1997.
“Our actions will be strong, our actions will be meaningful,” Mr Trump said as he listed privileges that would be affected by his announcement.
He said the extradition treaty would be altered, vowed to change US travel guidance for the territory and threatened sanctions on officials who undermined Hong Kong’s freedoms. Mr Raab said on Thursday that BNO passport holders would be able to come to the UK for 12, rather than six, months, creating a “pathway to citizenship”.
But last night the prime minister’s spokesman confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that it was putting a plan in place to extend the offer to almost three million people in Hong Kong who were eligible – mainly former holders of BNO passports who had let them lapse.
The document was issued to Hong Kong residents who were born before the UK handed the territory back to China in 1997.
Tensions have been growing between the US and China in recent weeks, fuelled by Mr Trump’s public blame of Beijing for not doing more to stop the spread of coronavirus. Mr Trump said Beijing’s new law for Hong
Kong, which follows months of prodemocracy protests, would diminish the territory’s autonomy.
Mr Trump said that and other measures had made clear that “Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to warrant the special treatment that we have offered the territory since the handover”.
The president said that the Chinese government’s actions meant the “one country, two systems” set-up, in place since the British handed over control, had been replaced with a “one country, one system” approach.
“Therefore, I am directing my administration to begin the process of eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment,” Mr Trump said.
One change Mr Trump explicitly mentioned was the extradition treaty.
Another was export controls on dual-use technology.
A third was the revocation of Hong Kong’s preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel territory from the rest of China.
Mr Trump also said the US state department’s travel guidance for Hong Kong would be changed to warn of “increased danger of surveillance and punishment” by the state. He also threatened sanctions on any officials directly or indirectly involved in undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy, claiming some were “absolutely smothering” freedoms there.
Meanwhile, Lord Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, has called for a United Nations special envoy to be appointed to defend human rights in the territory.
“The establishment of an international contact group to co-ordinate a global response would be a positive way forward,” said Lord Patten.
“Moreover, the creation of a UN special envoy for Hong Kong would contribute both to monitoring human rights and encouraging dialogue and reconciliation.
“Many UN member states would see it as a constructive proposal worthy of support,” he added.
‘Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to warrant the special treatment we have offered’