The Chinese Embassy in Canberra responded quickly, condemning the steps.
Sydney, Australia:
Australia on Thursday offered permanent residency to thousands of Hong Kong residents in response to China’s crackdown on dissent, drawing a furious response from Beijing.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government is suspending his extradition agreement with the city and, in addition to extending the visas of 10,000 Hong Kong people already in the country, has opened the door for thousands more to start new lives. below.
Morrison said the decisions were made in response to China’s imposition of tough new security law in Hong Kong last week, which he said “constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances” for the territory semi-autonomous.
“Australia is adjusting its laws, our sovereign laws, our sovereign immigration program, the things for which we have responsibility and jurisdiction, to reflect the changes we are seeing there,” he said in a statement. ‘a press conference.
The Chinese Embassy in Canberra responded quickly, condemning the measures as “a serious violation of international law … and gross interference in the internal affairs of China”.
“China deeply regrets and opposes the baseless accusations and measures” announced by Australia, he said.
“We urge the Australian side to immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs,” he added.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said China’s measures in Hong Kong were discussed earlier on Thursday with Australia’s so-called “Five Eyes” security partners – New Zealand, the United States, Great Britain and Canada.
Morrison’s announcement came a day after China opened a new office in Hong Kong for its security agents to oversee the implementation of the law targeting acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion foreign.
The law, which follows sometimes violent pro-democratic protests, is the most radical change in Hong Kong’s freedoms since Britain returned the city to China in 1997 under an agreement to preserve his way of life for 50 years.
China has bristled with widespread criticism of the law, and Australia’s decision to provide refuge for some Hong Kong citizens is expected to add to the already mounting tensions between the two.
In recent months, Beijing has imposed tariffs on certain Australian imports and hindered trade in other key products in response to Australian measures to counter Chinese interference in the country.
China, Australia’s largest trading partner and competitor for influence in the Pacific, was particularly furious when Canberra called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
New Zealand is also re-examining relations with Hong Kong because of the new law, said Foreign Minister Winston Peters, “including extradition agreements, controls on exports of strategic goods and travel advice. “.
– Permanent residency course –
Morrison dismissed the questions of whether the Hong Kong challenge would likely result in further Chinese retaliation.
“We will make decisions about what is in our best interests, and we will make decisions about our laws and opinions, and we will do so in a rational and sober and consistent manner,” he said.
Under the new measures, 10,000 Hong Kong citizens and residents of Australia who hold a student or temporary work visa will be allowed to stay in the country for another five years.
“If you hold a temporary visa, your visa will be extended for five years from today, in addition to the time you have already spent in Australia, with a path to permanent residence at the end of this period, “says Morrison.
The five-year visa and the possibility of permanent residence have also been offered to Hong Kong entrepreneurs or skilled workers who wish to settle in Australia in the future.
“If there are companies that want to relocate to Australia, create jobs, bring investment, create opportunities for Australia, then we will be very proactive in trying to encourage this,” he said.
The move echoes Australia’s response to the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square when Canberra offered refuge to thousands of Chinese students and their families.
However, this contrasts with the current policy of the Conservative government to restrict immigration.
Morrison said he did not expect a rush for new Hong Kong visa applications, in part because of travel restrictions for coronaviruses.
And he said it would be “very disappointing” if China tried to prevent Hong Kong citizens from taking advantage of the offer.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
