China says UK citizenship pathway for Hong Kong residents violates international law

[webfact]

China says UK citizenship pathway for Hong Kong residents violates international law

 

FILE PHOTO: Hong Kong and Chinese national flags are flown behind a pair of surveillance cameras outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong, China July 20, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A new British policy allowing Hong Kong residents to claim British citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with China's internal affairs, China's embassy in London said on Thursday.

 

British Interior Minister Priti Patel said on Wednesday that Hong Kong people with British National Overseas visas would be able to apply for citizenship starting from January 2021.

 

Britain had made that decision despite opposition from Beijing and China would respond strongly if it was not reversed, the Chinese embassy said in a statement.

 

The move "severely violated (Britain's) own commitments, seriously interfered with the internal affairs of China and seriously violated international law and the basic norms of international relations," it said.

 

London's decision, which could allow nearly three million Hong Kong residents to settle in Britain, came after Beijing imposed a national security law on the former British colony that democracy activists said would end the freedoms promised in 1997 when the territory was returned to Chinese rule.

 

Britain says the law breaches the terms of the handover treaty agreed in 1984. China accuses Britain of interfering in Hong Kong and Chinese affairs.

 

"The Chinese side urges the British side to recognise the reality that Hong Kong has returned to China, to look at the Hong Kong national security law objectively and immediately correct its mistakes," the embassy said.

 

(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-23

 

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[Tropicalevo]

China does not care about International law, unless it suits them.

Building illegal military structures on reef that is in International and national waters is a much bigger breach of International law.

[PatOngo]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

"The Chinese side urges the British side to recognise the reality that Hong Kong has returned to China, to look at the Hong Kong national security law objectively and immediately correct its mistakes," the embassy said.

China had a deal for 50 years for 1 country 2 policies, they reneged after only 23 years, where is their credibility and integrity???

[bluesofa]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

A new British policy allowing Hong Kong residents to claim British citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with China's internal affairs, China's embassy in London said on Thursday.

That strikes me that China is worried about it, by the fact they're 'quoting' international law.

When did China ever worry about transgressing any law, let alone international law.

[JoePai]

China - go screw yourself

[Eric Loh]

1 minute ago, PatOngo said:

China had a deal for 50 years for 1 country 2 policies, they reneged after only 23 years, where is their credibility and integrity???

The 1C2S agreement is still there and Hong Kong constitution and basic law still intact. 

[robblok]

I don't get what China worries about they lose the people they want to suppress and can fill the space with brainwashed mainlanders. 

 

I don't really see the problem, only problem is that they might lose a lot of rich and able people. But then they should have treated them better.

[mokwit]

Dear China, you can't demand adherence to international law from others when it suits you and trample over it when it doesn't. The way contracts work is that if one party breaches the contract the other side is no longer held to the contract SO: when you ignored international law e.g. the ruling on S China Sea by the Hague you set the precedent for the rest of the wold not being held to international law where China was concerned. HTH.

[Bkk Brian]

Exactly which international law does it violate? More lies from the Chinese winnie the pooh clan.

[Bkk Brian]

The brainwashing begins:

 

Hong Kong: The city's education authority is discussing with curriculum experts to integrate knowledge related to national security into various subjects of the school curriculum, said Hong Kong Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Wednesday.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Exactly which international law does it violate? More lies from the Chinese winnie the pooh clan.

Reminds me of Piglet and Pooh:

Piglet: Why do they call you Pooh Bear.

Pooh: 'Cos I stink.

I was thinking this was OT, then I thought maybe not, given Pooh's policies - they stink.

[rkidlad]

36 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The 1C2S agreement is still there and Hong Kong constitution and basic law still intact. 

Don't worry, Eric, remember you said Hong Kongers don't wanna leave. 

 

Or maybe they saw the Uyghur genocide going on in China and had second thoughts. I would call it a "cultural genocide" but that isn't true and I know how you hate that phrase. 

 

 

[DaftToPutRealName]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

China had a deal for 50 years for 1 country 2 policies, they reneged after only 23 years, where is their credibility and integrity???

 

Like crisis meaning "danger" and "opportunity"; "credibility" and "integrity" is only useful there as a way to sell you something.

[DaftToPutRealName]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

The 1C2S agreement is still there and Hong Kong constitution and basic law still intact. 

So ignore any dangerous laws that go against the spirit of the constitution and basic law, and we're good; right?

"Oh, you can go outside any time you like... if you can get through the welded bar on the other side :)... but we didn't lock your door so technically you're still free to leave any time you like!!"

[Eric Loh]

23 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Don't worry, Eric, remember you said Hong Kongers don't wanna leave. 

 

Or maybe they saw the Uyghur genocide going on in China and had second thoughts. I would call it a "cultural genocide" but that isn't true and I know how you hate that phrase. 

 

 

Well we have to see if BJ will follow through his threat and how many HK citizens will leave. At the moment, only about 350,000 citizens (4% of population) have UK passports and can leave and possibly become UK citizens if citizenship laws are changed. Up to 2.6 million may also be eligible but need new immigration laws that will court controversies in Parliament and to the public. There are no laws prohibiting HK citizens to leave including wealthy people like Jimmy Lai who has been outspoken on China's policies. As I know, there is a trickle out of HK and not a stampede.  

[Eric Loh]

3 minutes ago, DaftToPutRealName said:

So ignore any dangerous laws that go against the spirit of the constitution and basic law, and we're good; right?

"Oh, you can go outside any time you like... if you can get through the welded bar on the other side :)... but we didn't lock your door so technically you're still free to leave any time you like!!"

Every countries have national security laws. US has a long list of national security laws.

[rkidlad]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

Well we have to see if BJ will follow through his threat and how many HK citizens will leave. At the moment, only about 350,000 citizens (4% of population) have UK passports and can leave and possibly become UK citizens if citizenship laws are changed. Up to 2.6 million may also be eligible but need new immigration laws that will court controversies in Parliament and to the public. There are no laws prohibiting HK citizens to leave including wealthy people like Jimmy Lai who has been outspoken on China's policies. As I know, there is a trickle out of HK and not a stampede.  

Again, Eric, there's no need to worry. Not sure why the CCP are trying to stop freedom of movement. They/re usually so freedom-loving. 

 

As for the CCP talking about international laws, they don't have a leg to stand on. They're currently committing genocide. 

[rkidlad]

Just now, Eric Loh said:

Every countries have national security laws. US has a long list of national security laws.

The US doesn't try to enforce laws to stop people from leaving. 

 

The Republic of Ireland had a problem with many citizens leaving before. They didn't try to stop them using laws as that's illegal, abhorrent and absurd. They did the decent thing by trying to encourage them to stay or come back using incentives. 

 

Citizens are free to come and go as they please. It's a basic human right. 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

The 1C2S agreement is still there and Hong Kong constitution and basic law still intact. 

Yeah right, I love the Chinese too! Are you learning Mandarin also?

 

 

[Bramley]

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

The 1C2S agreement is still there and Hong Kong constitution and basic law still intact. 

Yeah, right Eric. And people in Xinjiang and Tibet love their Chinese masters.

[Puchaiyank]

China regularly ignores International Law rulings that does not favor their position...can't have it both ways...

[Bramley]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

I don't get what China worries about they lose the people they want to suppress and can fill the space with brainwashed mainlanders. 

 

I don't really see the problem, only problem is that they might lose a lot of rich and able people. But then they should have treated them better.

China would rather have downtrodden mainlanders than free thinking Hong Kongers.

[Henryford]

What about the international law for freedom of passage in the South China Sea?

[nausea]

Well, we're kicking out the Russians, so I suppose we have to get new money from somewhere.

[animalmagic]

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

China regularly ignores International Law rulings that does not favor their position...can't have it both ways...

China thinks it can.  Attached is an excerpt, I have the full document if you are bored, showing a specific provision that relates to every person on the planet!  Perhaps we should all read the law in its entirety to ensure we don't commit a National (In)Security Crime in HK?

Article 38 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region.

[rudi49jr]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

China says UK citizenship pathway for Hong Kong residents violates international law

 

Since when does China care two hoots about international law?

[mokwit]

5 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

China thinks it can.  Attached is an excerpt, I have the full document if you are bored, showing a specific provision that relates to every person on the planet!  Perhaps we should all read the law in its entirety to ensure we don't commit a National (In)Security Crime in HK?

Article 38 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region.

As they are planning on world domination they thought they may as well start writing laws from that perspective now.

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

I don't get what China worries about they lose the people they want to suppress and can fill the space with brainwashed mainlanders. 

 

I don't really see the problem, only problem is that they might lose a lot of rich and able people. But then they should have treated them better.

 

I think you answer your own question. Losing wealthy, capable people and the transfer of business is exactly what they are worried about.

 

China only has a plan A for everything - that is China getting its own way.

[nemo38]

China should be smart and encourage angry HK residents to leave. They will cause internal strife in their enemy countries, including the UK, where people are already angry about having immigrants forced on them. HK people can easily be replaced with grateful mainlanders.

 

It is farcical that the UK claims to care about the freedom of a foreign people when they just arrested a 12 year old boy for the made up crime of "racism". In the UK, like other western nations, you lose your job for saying men can't be women or going against any of the rest of the forced narrartives.

 

Hong Kong people have a good life and they have more freedom than people in the UK. If they end up moving to the UK they will soon realise their mistake.

 

People in the west don't seem to care that the leaders of this HK uprising, where they set fire to old men and trashed malls, were all meeting with US state department people - all out in the open. If China had encouraged British nationalists to go out and riot we would never hear the end of it.

[onebir]

1 hour ago, animalmagic said:

Article 38 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region.

 

I believe this is an example of legislation with 'long-arm jurisdiction', but a few weeks back...:

Quote

"We urge the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction,' and return to the right track of observing the JCPOA and Resolution 2231," he said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-01/China-asks-U-S-to-stop-unilateral-sanctions-on-Iran-RLisDlOJmo/index.html

 

(TBH though I don't think hypocrisy about foreign policy etc is unique to any one country.)