London, United Kingdom:
China warned Britain on Thursday that it could take retaliatory measures with “matching measures” for London’s decision to widen the path to citizenship for Hong Kong residents.
Britain’s offer came in response to a radical new security law that China unveiled for the former British territory this week.
Hong Kong was under British jurisdiction until it was handed over to China in 1997 with the guarantee that Beijing would preserve the city’s judicial and legislative autonomy for 50 years.
The Chinese Embassy in London said that “all of the Chinese compatriots living in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals”.
The UK plan covers nearly three million Hong Kong nationals who either have a British National Overseas Passport (BNO) or are eligible to apply for one.
The embassy said the people were also Chinese nationals.
“If the British side unilaterally changes the relevant practice, it will violate its own position and commitments, as well as international law and the basic standards governing international relations,” he said in a statement.
“We firmly oppose it and reserve the right to take the corresponding measures,” he said without further details.
Beijing has never publicly discussed the possibility of offering British citizenship to China or broader residency rights.
The Chinese statement concluded by urging London to reassess its decision and “refrain from interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong”.
“Few things we can do”
Britain has sought closer ties with China after ending its decades of EU membership this year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government also angered the US administration in January by allowing private Chinese telecommunications group Huawei to roll out the new fast British data network.
But Britain is currently exploring ways to completely remove Huawei from its system and create an alliance of European and Asian suppliers that reduce China’s dominance in this area.
British media has said that the Foreign Office summoned the Chinese ambassador to London on Wednesday to voice concerns about the law.
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab later admitted that London could do little if China refused to allow Hong Kong residents to settle in Britain.
“In the end, if they pursue something like this, there is little we can do to force them,” said Raab on ITV television on Wednesday evening.
Raab said London could use “diplomatic leverage (and) other means” to try to soften China’s approach to Hong Kong and not follow through on the full force of the radical new security law .
Chinese authorities arrested 10 people under the new law during protests on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.
“But in the end, we have to be honest, we won’t be able to force China to allow BNOs to come to the UK,” said Raab.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
