Britain will not walk away from Hong Kong, Johnson says

[snoop1130]

Britain will not walk away from Hong Kong, Johnson says

 

(L-R) Pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Sunny Cheung and Nathan Law speak to the media in response to the national security legislation in Hong Kong, China June 3, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Britain will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law that would conflict with its international obligations under a 1984 accord, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

 

Johnson's remarks followed a warning to China on Tuesday to step back from the brink over the national security legislation for Hong Kong, saying it risked destroying one of the jewels of Asia's economy while ruining the reputation of China.

 

"Hong Kong succeeds because its people are free," Johnson wrote in the Times. "If China proceeds, this would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations."

 

China’s parliament approved last week a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference.

 

Mainland security and intelligence agents may, for the first time, be stationed in the city, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

 

The plan for the legislation follows months of often violent pro-democracy protests in last year that plunged Hong Kong into its biggest crisis since the handover.

 

"Many people in Hong Kong fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat," Johnson said.

 

"If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obligations and provide an alternative."

 

Johnson repeated Britain's pledge to give British National Overseas passport-holders in Hong Kong a path to British citizenship, allowing them to settle in the United Kingdom.

 

There are about 350,000 holders of BNO passports in Hong Kong and another 2.5 million are eligible for them, Johnson said.

 

China's decision to impose the national security law on Hong Kong would "curtail its freedoms and dramatically erode its autonomy", Johnson wrote in a commentary for the South China Morning Post https://bit.ly/3gGrNC6 newspaper.

 

"Since the handover in 1997, the key has been the precious concept of 'one country, two systems', enshrined in Hong Kong's Basic Law and underpinned by the Joint Declaration signed by Britain and China," Johnson wrote.

 

The Basic law is Hong Kong's mini constitution while the 1984 declaration set out the arrangements for Hong Kong's return to China.

 

Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the security legislation, not yet drafted but expected to be implemented by September, would not affect the city's high degree of autonomy including its common-law, independent legal system.

 

'IRRESPONSIBLE'

 

China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair and Britain's connection to the territory stemmed from "aggressive colonisation and unequal treaties".

 

"The UK's irresponsible remarks and accusations ... have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. "We advise the UK side to step back from the brink."

 

"The UK said the legislation is authoritarian, but this word is the exact characterization of the UK's former rule over HK," the spokesman said.

 

Johnson's comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to Beijing's plan to impose the security legislation, ordered his administration to begin the process of eliminating special U.S. treatment for Hong Kong to punish China.

 

A survey of U.S. businesses revealed deep fears for the future of their operations in Hong Kong, with 30% of respondents "moderately" concerned and 53.3% "very concerned" about it.

 

The survey, on June 1-2 for the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), drew responses from 180, or 15%, of its members.

 

About 60% thought the legislation would harm their business operations, while a third said they were considering moving capital, assets or operations out of the semi-autonomous city, with 38% personally considering moving out.

 

Contributing to simmering anti-government tension, Hong Kong lawmakers are set to resume debate on a bill that would criminalise disrespect of China's national anthem, following scuffles in the legislature in recent weeks.

 

ANNIVERSARY

 

Separately, Hong Kong activists plan to rally to mark the June 4, 1989, anniversary of Chinese troops opening fire on pro-democracy students in and around Tiananmen Square, even though for the first time, an annual vigil for the anniversary has been cancelled over coronavirus concerns.

 

Demonstrations are also planned for the June 9 anniversary of last year's million-strong march against a now-withdrawn bill to allow for the extradition of offenders to mainland China, and protests three days later that police tackled with tear gas and rubber bullets.

 

The turmoil has raised questions about Hong Kong's role as a financial hub.

 

HSBC Holdings is among companies that have faced pressure to support the security law, with former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying criticising the bank for not making clear its stance.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-03

 

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[YetAnother]

11 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Britain will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law that would conflict with its international obligations under a 1984 accord, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

sure they will; same as they caved to the mainland china in the 1997 'negotiations'

[darksidedog]

Just now, YetAnother said:

sure they will; same as they caved to the mainland china in the 1997 'negotiations'

Pretty much agree with you. Sure, Boris will squeal and protest, but the Chinese don't blink in negotiations, even though it proves their ill  intentions for its subjects. And when it gets away with Hong Kong, Taiwan will be the next to be worried. Until somewhere has the guts to stand up to China its march of domination will continue.

[Eric Loh]

12 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

sure they will; same as they caved to the mainland china in the 1997 'negotiations'

When lease expired, UK hand back Hong Kong. China took an unprecedented conciliatory informal agreement to allow Hong Kong to have their own constitution and autonomous status. 

[samran]

51 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

When lease expired, UK hand back Hong Kong. China took an unprecedented conciliatory informal agreement to allow Hong Kong to have their own constitution and autonomous status. 

It wasn’t all lease. HK island and Kowloon to boundary Rd was sovereign UK territory in perpetuity. 

Edited June 3, 2020 by samran

[Susco]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

There are about 350,000 holders of BNO passports in Hong Kong and another 2.5 million are eligible for them, Johnson said.

He gonna invite them all to the UK?

 

Why countries like UK and US always want to intervene in other countries politics?

 

It's quite simple, if you don't agree with them then stop buying products from them.

 

Oh wait that not gonna happen of course

[animalmagic]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair and Britain's connection to the territory stemmed from "aggressive colonisation and unequal treaties".

Which is nothing like the aggressive colonization of Tibet, the development and militarization of tiny reefs in the South China Sea which are much closer to other the countries than China; and the preferential treatment it has demanded and been given with the WTO and the Belt and Road policy.

[animalmagic]

13 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

When lease expired, UK hand back Hong Kong. China took an unprecedented conciliatory informal agreement to allow Hong Kong to have their own constitution and autonomous status. 

By your own quote you state that China has never taken a conciliatory approach before.  However the use of informal is completely inaccurate as it was an international treaty signed by two sovereign countries and lodged with the U.N.

[kingdong]

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sure they will; same as they caved to the mainland china in the 1997 'negotiations'

And walked away from rhodesia after they sold them down the river.

[kingdong]

Britain should stop trying to punch above its weight were no longer an empire,we have given all that back,just a small overcrowded set of islands who owe a lot of money,there's going to be some very tough times ahead without sticking its noses in other people's affairs.

Edited June 4, 2020 by kingdong

[kingdong]

13 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Pretty much agree with you. Sure, Boris will squeal and protest, but the Chinese don't blink in negotiations, even though it proves their ill  intentions for its subjects. And when it gets away with Hong Kong, Taiwan will be the next to be worried. Until somewhere has the guts to stand up to China its march of domination will continue.

Some one has the guts to stand up to china?well I hope it's not britain,it needs a global embargo and sanctions on China not a third world war.

[nobodysfriend]

With the recent problems in the US , ( covid , riots ) , I am sure that Chinese government and most Chinese people consider themselves the No.1 power in the world of today .

Personally I think that most Chinese people do not care about anything , but themselves ...

There is nothing Philanthropic or the will to understand the global ecological crisis in chinese mentality , It is always " me first " !

Of course , there are chinese people who criticize the chinese government too , but they have a strange tendency to just disappear , without leaving a trace ...

Meanwhile tensions between the US and China rise .

The US wants to hold China responsible for the damage done by the virus , and China jumps on the occasion of a distracted world to tighten their grip on Hongkong ( and Taiwan )

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52912517

 

The US is to ban passenger flights from China from 16 June, in the latest sign of tensions between the two economic giants.

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by nobodysfriend

[stevenl]

12 hours ago, Susco said:

He gonna invite them all to the UK?

 

Why countries like UK and US always want to intervene in other countries politics?

 

It's quite simple, if you don't agree with them then stop buying products from them.

 

Oh wait that not gonna happen of course

He has to let them all in since they are eligible for a British passport.

[Brickbat]

Johnson, it’s not the last century. HK is not your land. Mind your own frigging business. You have enough already on your plate! 

[Jingthing]

The UK doesn't have much leverage in this but this is a bold move and I support it.

China needs to be taken down a peg or two. 

The new imperialists. Ironically. 

[Eric Loh]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"If China proceeds, this would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations."

Johnson too occupied with his domestic problems to understand that there are no direct threat to the joint declaration. Hong Kong retain their semi-constitution and their special status. 

 

In any case, UK and USA are not desire destinations for Hong Kong who prefer to immigrate to Canada, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. His invitation to settle in UK will be most likely to be ignored.

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, animalmagic said:

By your own quote you state that China has never taken a conciliatory approach before.  However the use of informal is completely inaccurate as it was an international treaty signed by two sovereign countries and lodged with the U.N.

Whether the joint declaration deposited with the UN is still valid is much subjective. Some argue that the declaration covered only the period from the signing in 1984 until the handover in 1997 and Britain has no right to monitor the implementation of the declaration after 1997. In any case, the mini constitution is still in placed and the special status of Hong Kong is still intact. I am sure the legality of the declaration will be challenged if China abolish the special status within 50 years and if Britain still has the appetite to do so. 

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, animalmagic said:

Which is nothing like the aggressive colonization of Tibet, the development and militarization of tiny reefs in the South China Sea which are much closer to other the countries than China; and the preferential treatment it has demanded and been given with the WTO and the Belt and Road policy.

Let us not forget the over 1,000 detention facilities (reputedly closer to concentration camps) in the Western China Uyghur regions. Up to one million people imprisoned, because they are "different".

 

In the decade since, the far western region has seen a growing crackdown and intensifying surveillance, ostensibly to combat extremism. The region posted jobs for 100,000 security personnel in a single recent year alone. Authorities track every vehicle in the region(paywall), collect DNA from residents, seize passports, and use technology to monitor individual routines—or deviations from them.

 

https://qz.com/1599393/how-researchers-estimate-1-million-uyghurs-are-detained-in-xinjiang/

 

 

[animalmagic]

25 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Some argue that the declaration covered only the period from the signing in 1984 until the handover in 1997 and Britain has no right to monitor the implementation of the declaration after 1997.

An interesting argument.  An internationally recognized agreement between two sovereign nations detailing at length what is to happen for 50 years to a territory as it is handed over from one jurisdiction to another is only valid until that period starts!

By your argument the Basic Law is not valid after 1st July 1997.

The UN has a right to monitor implementation.

Edited June 4, 2020 by animalmagic
correction

[sscc]

2 hours ago, kingdong said:

Britain should stop trying to punch above its weight were no longer an empire,we have given all that back,just a small overcrowded set of islands who owe a lot of money,there's going to be some very tough times ahead without sticking its noses in other people's affairs.

 

Britain could have punched on this issue in 1980's,  in late Margaret T era.  There was GIGANTIC financial incentives in the balance and of course all the political ramification at the time. 

 

Turning to 2020,  one side had been on the way down and one side had surged for the past 30+ years.    Forget it,  no way to reverse the course.    

[Pedrogaz]

You already walked away Boris....the territory was only leased to the British under duress for 99 years. You had to give it back to its owner, China. After 1997 you have no rights except those the Chinese gave you in 1997. They did that because HK was about 42% of total Chinese GDP. HK is now 2.5% of total GDP. Plus you won't be in office too long if you let 3 million Chinese come to Britain....your own party will turf you out.

[Pedrogaz]

One more thing......HK was never a democracy. It was a colony with an appointed Governor.

[Traubert]

25 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Let us not forget the over 1,000 detention facilities (reputedly closer to concentration camps) in the Western China Uyghur regions. Up to one million people imprisoned, because they are "different".

 

In the decade since, the far western region has seen a growing crackdown and intensifying surveillance, ostensibly to combat extremism. The region posted jobs for 100,000 security personnel in a single recent year alone. Authorities track every vehicle in the region(paywall), collect DNA from residents, seize passports, and use technology to monitor individual routines—or deviations from them.

 

https://qz.com/1599393/how-researchers-estimate-1-million-uyghurs-are-detained-in-xinjiang/

 

 

They invited the press in.

 

Let them pick their 'concentration camp' They found a lot of people learning stuff.

 

It all went quiet after that. Just American nonsense. Who pays for the World Uighur Congress?

 

There are 56 minorities in China.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Traubert

[spidermike007]

1 minute ago, Traubert said:

They invited the press in.

 

Let them pick their 'concentration camp' They found a lot of people learning stuff.

 

It all went quiet after that. Just American nonsense. Who pays for the World Uighur Congress?

And how much did China pay you for the PR campaign? Nice work. Yes, all fiction. Hundreds of agencies are just making this stuff up. 

[Eric Loh]

20 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

An interesting argument.  An internationally recognized agreement between two sovereign nations detailing at length what is to happen for 50 years to a territory as it is handed over from one jurisdiction to another is only valid until that period starts!

By your argument the Basic Law is not valid after 1st July 1997.

The UN has a right to monitor implementation.

It is actually a bi-lateral joint declaration and therefore not in the purview of UN to monitor. 

[Thomas J]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Britain will not walk away from Hong Kong, Johnson says

No run away would be a more accurate description.  You had a country that once ruled 25% of the world and now is sovereign over an area the size of the state of Michigan and has to import immigrants to work. 

[Traubert]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

And how much did China pay you for the PR campaign? Nice work. Yes, all fiction. Hundreds of agencies are just making this stuff up. 

Not one fen. Well, they dont employ Brits.

 

It's all out there and you say the US doesnt make mischief for China? The OP is about HK. Nice pic of Joshua Wong last seen at the NED awards picking up his gong.

 

Some guy was on television yesterday insinuating China was involved in the America riots.

[Bruntoid]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

The UK doesn't have much leverage in this but this is a bold move and I support it.

China needs to be taken down a peg or two. 

The new imperialists. Ironically. 

They do if they handpick the tech savvy hongkongians - but I’ve read Aus and Canada have already embarked down that route - typical Boris always late to the party 

[Deli]

If USA, Russia and the EU could agree only ONE time on a thing...

China could be hard hit, also for thes CV <deleted> they brought to the world.

Unfortunately won't happen.

[Bruntoid]

5 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

No run away would be a more accurate description.  You had a country that once ruled 25% of the world and now is sovereign over an area the size of the state of Michigan and has to import immigrants to work. 

and now throwing them out !!! 
 

Wait wait - update - but then chartering jets to fly them back in at taxpayers expense to pick the crops ????