In a guest article in the Newspapers "Times" and "South China Morning Post" wrote the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this Wednesday, when the Chinese security law for Hong Kong, he will not let the people in the former British crown colony alone. A lead China, the controversial law in fact, they are against the agreements, which would have made both sides in 1997 at the Handover of Hong Kong to China. London will then simplify the immigration for people with "British National Overseas"Status.

Previously, had already appealed to foreign Minister Dominic Raab on the Chinese government to reconsider its approach in Hong Kong. Beijing had to "respect Hong Kong's autonomy and China's own international obligations". Other British politicians criticised the so-called law for the protection of national security, for the China's people's Congress has recently paved the way.

The sound between the UK and China is quite different than a few years ago. While the United Kingdom was about the umbrella protests of 2014, when hundreds of thousands for free elections in Hong Kong have demonstrated, still trying to remain neutral, had changed the attitude of the least, said Tim Summers of the British think tank Chatham House.

Since the beginning of the mass protests in the Chinese special administrative region against Beijing, close to Administration Carrie Lam, in the past year, "a refund of the British government towards the Parliament on a regular basis about the Situation in Hong Kong report, and it has to be expressed in many occasions critical of Beijing," said Summers.

the impetus for the protests in 2019 was a planned act, which should allow, among other things, the extradition of prisoners to China. The Transition to the current protests against the may of China's Communist party announced safety act was, in a sense, fluid. The law bypasses Hong Kong's Parliament, and is directed against activities that were viewed as subversive or separatist. It has triggers for fear of the circumcision of citizens ' rights in Hong Kong criticism in many countries, for example in the United States.

How to work the naturalization of Hongkongern?

Currently, about 350,000 Hong Kong already have a so-called passport of British citizens overseas (BNO), a further 2.5 million would have a claim on it. The Status of British citizens abroad dates back to the time before the Handover to China on 1. In July 1997, when Hong Kong was still a British crown colony. It only applies up to this date, born in Hong Kong.

The appropriate travel pass allows for up to six months without a visa in the UK to stop. In the words of Johnson in the future, twelve-month stay should be granted - with the possibility of renewal. Also Hong Kong want to get a BNO passport, a work permit and extended immigration rights, which the "path to citizenship" will be free. Johnson's announcements for the event that China's national security law enters into force, it would mean a Change in the UK immigration law that would affect more than a third of the 7.5 million residents of Hong Kong.

How China is responding?

China has the plans of great Britain, Hongkongern to facilitate the naturalisation sharply criticised and threatened with "counter-measures". "All the compatriots living in Hong Kong, are Chinese citizens," said a foreign Ministry spokesman. Interference'm gonna go to London "is definitely back," it said. "We advise the United Kingdom, from the abyss, the mentality of the Cold war and the colonial way of thinking to give up to withdraw." London should no longer respect that Hong Kong is part of Britain.

Tim Summers, who teaches at the centre for China studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says it's unclear what my Beijing "counter-measures", specifically. Britain's weak point, however, could be the close economic ties between the two countries. "British exports to China have grown in 2019, faster than exports to any other region of the world," says the sinologist. In addition, the United Kingdom and other countries were also dependent on many global issues on cooperation with China, a Permanent member of the security Council of the United Nations.

Not a turning point for British-Chinese relations

The dispute about China's security law and the UK's announcement of a simplified naturalization of BNO is for the bilateral relations, a strain - Summers is expected that this could worsen in the coming months. Because it was unlikely that China let in the implementation of the controversial security law objections to great Britain or other countries to be swayed.

a turning point in the relations to the expert does not want to talk, however. In the long run, he believes, you will be able to relax again - because it give besides Hong Kong, other important issues between the UK and China: "in view of Beijing's global importance, it is not lean too far out the window." Whether from the Hongkongern with BNO Status, many of the make use of of great Britain announced simplified naturalisation opportunities, will probably depend also crucial to the very security law curtails in fact, your freedoms.

author: Ines Eisele

*The contribution of "great Britain, China, contrary to" published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

Deutsche Welle

Date Of Update: 03 June 2020, 19:27