Britain on Wednesday extended Hong Kong residents a broader path to citizenship in response to China’s sweeping new security law for the former UK territory. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement represents the most direct international response to legislation that has been roundly condemned by Western allies. It comes during a London review of its entire range of relations with Beijing, including its decision to allow China’s Huawei help build Britain new 5G data network. Johnson said London had warned Beijing that it would introduce a new route for those with British National Overseas status to enter the UK. About 300,000 Hong Kongers have BNO passports and another 2.6 million are eligible to apply. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain’s offer also extended to dependents of those with BNO status but refused to be drawn about how many would apply.
Britain’s response to China’s legislation offers a much smoother pathway to UK citizenship for millions of Hong Kongers. Raab said Hong Kongers with BNO status and their dependents would first have the right to work or study in Britain for five years. They would then have the right to apply for settled status then possible citizenship. He said there would be “no quotas” and described the entire system as “bespoke”.
Britain had opened itself up to closer relations with China as it sought out trading partners after ending its decades-long membership in the European Union this year. Johnson’s government also irritated the US administration in January by allowing the private Chinese telecoms group Huawei to unroll Britain’s speedy new data network. But Britain is now studying ways it can cut Huawei out of its system entirely and build up an alliance of European and Asian providers that reduces China’s dominance in the field.
Source: Digital Journal
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