Labour has also called for Britain to 'develop home grown alternatives' to Chinese technology and make 'a proper assessment of the national security implications' before green-lighting the Huawei deal. Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, also raised concerns about China's influence on the UK university sector - citing claims that 'Chinese students have already been influenced to silence debate and change outcomes here in the UK'. The PM is under pressure on Huawei from all sides, with Tory backbenchers repeatedly bringing up the issue in yesterday's Commons debate on Hong Kong. Numerous Hong Kong websites have published articles explaining the process of applying for the new BNO rights, including one titled 'Things you must know before immigration'. Thousands of Hong Kong citizens have already expressed their desire to move to Britain on social media platforms.Ī Facebook group named the 'Official Group for BNO Equality Movement' has seen nearly 3,000 new members in the past month. In a separate interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Ms Wong said she would not be able to go home again after talking to foreign media. I will be persecuted,' she told The Times. Simon Cheng (pictured) is the first person to have been granted political asylum by the Home Office in relation to China's crackdown on the Hong Kong anti-government movement after he was allegedly shackled, beaten, forced to stand for long hours in secret detention in ChinaĮunice Wong, a Hong Kong student who has just finished her Master's degree in the UK, said she would be taking advantage of the offer.
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Mr Raab admitted last night that there would be little the UK could do if China tried to stop Hong Kongers from leaving.Ĭhina did not say how it might retaliate, but it has recently hit Australia with a series of tariffs, export bans and warnings against travelling and studying in the country after it led global calls for an inquiry into coronavirus.Īustralia said today it is considering a similar citizenship offer, while Taiwan has opened an office to help Hong Kongers take refuge there. Hong Kong matters are China's domestic affairs, and no countries have any right to intervene.' Hundreds were arrested in a crackdown on Hong Kong protesters yesterday just hours after the new law came into force, bringing in long prison sentences for dissent and trials run by the mainland Communist Party.įoreign Secretary Dominic Raab yesterday unveiled plans to offer residency and a possible route to citizenship to British Nationals (Overseas), a group of nearly three million people with links to Hong Kong.īut Beijing regards them as Chinese nationals and its embassy in London warned today that 'we firmly oppose this and reserve the right to take corresponding measures'.Ĭhinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press conference today that 'the UK should bear any consequences caused by this. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic and the chaos in Hong Kong have thrown Britain's relations with China into crisis - with Beijing now threatening to punish the UK for offering refuge to Hong Kongers. Mr Johnson has been under massive pressure to change course on Huawei after agreeing in January to give the Chinese tech giant a 'limited' role in the 5G network, despite fears that Beijing would use it for espionage.
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