HK official says Britain has no rights over city following handover

HONG KONG • Hong Kong Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng reiterated yesterday that Britain had no rights over the city under the joint declaration that laid the blueprint for how the city would be ruled after its 1997 reunification with China.

Ms Cheng made the comments in a blog post on the eve of changes to Britain's visa application programme that will allow Hong Kong residents who hold a British National (Overseas) passport to live, study and work in Britain for five years and eventually apply for citizenship.

Ms Cheng cited Mr Xie Feng, former commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Hong Kong, as saying "the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong whatsoever after the latter returned to China" under the joint declaration.

After Beijing moved to impose a national security law on Hong Kong last summer that gave the authorities sweeping powers to curtail dissent, Britain accused China of violating its promise to grant Hong Kong 50 years of semi-autonomy.

The British government said in June that it would create a special visa pathway for holders of BN(O) passports, a unique category created for Hong Kongers before the 1997 transfer of power.

The British government expects some 322,000 Hong Kong residents to take advantage of the new pathway to citizenship over the next five years.

Such an exodus - equal to roughly 4 per cent of Hong Kong's population - could have a profound impact on both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, fresh from its break with the European Union. The departure could result in a capital outflow of HK$280 billion (S$48 billion), according to a Bank of America report published earlier this month.

China and the Hong Kong government had already hit back at the visa change, by saying they would no longer recognise the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document from today.

Mr Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference that the plan was an effort to turn Hong Kong residents into second-class British citizens, according to a write-up of his remarks by CCTV, China's state broadcaster.

Some Hong Kong residents with children said they were particularly worried about political pressure in schools, with the government vowing to "cut off" the "black hands" in the education system and revoking teachers' certifications for discussing subjects like Hong Kong independence in class.

"What if I am arrested for saying something against the government while teaching, or even a simple chat with colleagues?" said Mr Wong, a 34-year-old education administrator and part-time English teacher who is planning to leave.

One WhatsApp group focused on helping educators get skills and certifications to secure employment in the UK has more than 100 members.

Mr Wong, who would be moving on his own, said he is still struggling with the idea that he might not see his parents any time soon.

"This time, once I leave, I will leave forever," he said. "So that is a very big decision."

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG, NYTIMES