China says that Britain has no right to grant citizenship to Hong Kongers, following the protests related to the New Security Law, that was faced with worldwide backlash. It added that it “vowed to take ‘corresponding measures’ to stop such a move”. It added that the best UK could do was to “coercively force” China if it blocks Hong Kongers from leaving.
Liu Xiaoming, China’s Ambassador to the UK, was reported saying, “It is “clear … that all Chinese compatriots residing in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals, whether or not they are holders of the British Dependent Territories Citizens passport or the British National (Overseas) passport”.
This statement has been released after a promise by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, offering nearly 3 million residents of the former British colony, those with British National (Overseas) status (BNO), the right to settle in the UK. A similar statement was also released by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The United States has also approved new Hong Kong-related sanctions.
More than 400 people have been arrested in Hong Kong following the implementation of the new security law, following an opaque legislative process that took less than six weeks. The powers vested in the authorities of Mainland China due to this new law has been widely critiqued for its barbaric nature of treating those who have been arrested under it.