U.K.'s Boris Johnson tells China that Britain will admit 3 Million from Hong Kong
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
LONDON — The United Kingdom will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law which conflicts with Beijing's international obligations under a 1984 accord, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
"Hong Kong succeeds because its people are free," Johnson wrote in The Times of London. "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 last week approved a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference. Mainland security and intelligence agents may be stationed in the city for the first time.
"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 honor our obligations and provide an alternative," he added.
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.
The newspaper said that Britain's National Security Council agreed on Tuesday to "rebalance" Britain's relationship with China.
Britain on Tuesday warned Beijing to step back from the brink over the national security law in Hong Kong, saying it risked destroying one of the jewels of Asia's economy while ruining the reputation of China.
Reuters
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Hopefully we will see a mass exodus as they flee the tyrannical communist that rot the soul of a nation as Churchill said. I hope they can escape before they have to risk their lives to defect.
Funny thing, Dean, is that I know I haven't lost my sense of smell, and things that rot usually smell pretty bad, but neither I nor anyone I know here think the soul of China smells, but then I'm not so afraid of Communism that I would hate it as much as your comments indicate.
I wonder how the regular British Citizen feels about 3,000,000 more people arriving?
They LOVE immigrants there. You only have to read the news about how much more privilege they are allowed than others.
I am not an immigrant, nor am I nor will I ever be a citizen. I am no more that a foreigner with a renewable visa that permits me to be here to be able to visit with family - my wife, who IS a citizen here. And let me be perfectly clear - I do NOT have all the privileges of a Chinese citizen. When I first came here, I had a visa that allowed me to work here - I was considered a "Foreign Expert", but due to my advanced age I am no longer permitted a work visa. At my age, the only foreigners permitted to work here would be ones like CEOs of industries or high-ranking professors in universities or persons with special and needed skills of high value to the government.
Allow me to clarify for you. There = the UK. Here = China. (Although the context itself should have made that obvious)
Good. People actually helping people is appropriate.
Agreed.