CHina has strongly criticized a UK immigration program that allows Hong Kong residents to stay in the UK permanently. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said in Beijing on Friday, “Britain is trying to convert a large number of Hong Kong citizens into second-class British citizens.” In retaliation, he announced that China no longer recognizes passports that issue so-called British foreign nationals (BNOs) in Hong Kong as documents for the London trip. Since most Hong Kong people travel with other documents, this is primarily a symbolic move. The spokesman said that Beijing reserves the right to take further measures. He accused the UK government of “ignoring the fact that Hong Kong returned to China 24 years ago”.
The UK had announced details of the immigration program shortly before. From Sunday, Hong Kong residents can apply for a residence visa for up to five years. In London it is expected that around 300,000 Hong Kong residents of more than five million beneficiaries will take advantage of the offer.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson “We are extremely proud” on Thursday evening that “we have opened this new way for BNOs to live, work and work from home in our country”. It takes into account “the deep ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong”. “We stand for freedom and autonomy – values that remain intact in both the UK and Hong Kong.” According to one estimate, the UK economy could benefit from an influx of over three billion euros over the next five years. London announced an immigration program in July following a ban on independence in Hong Kong with a “national security law” in China. The British government views the law as a violation of the 1984 treaty that governed the return of the Hong Kong Crown Colony to China. On the other hand, Beijing is concerned with the immigration program, which opens the path to British citizenship after six years as a breach of contract.
London may join the “Quad”
According to newspaper reports, the British government is known as “Asian NATO”. The informal group, also known as the “Quad”, currently includes the United States, Australia, Japan, and India. Your goal is to contain Chinese expansion. Johnson took the first step in this direction when he invited Australia and India along with South Korea to the G-7 summit to be held in Cornwall in June. Kurt Campbell, who co-ordinates Asia policy in the US government, recently welcomed the British initiative in an essay for “foreign affairs” and recommended that the G7 be permanently considered the ten most important democracies (“D10 “).
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