UK disappointed by Beijing BNO stance

Britain’s foreign ministry says it is disappointed, but not surprised, by Beijing’s decision not to recognise the British National (Overseas), or BNO, passport. Beijing made the move in response to the UK’s opening from Sunday of a special visa scheme linked to the BNO.

“I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BNOs to live, work and make their home in our country,” UK prime minister Boris Johnson said.

The scheme was set up after Beijing imposed its version of a national security law in Hong Kong last July, which the UK said violated Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and was a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The UK then offered, what it called, a pathway to citizenship to Hong Kong residents, who had registered for BNO status prior to the handover in July 1997.

Beijing said the national security law was needed to bring months of anti-government protests to an end. In 2003, Hong Kong had tried to bring in a national security law by itself, as specified in Article 23 of the Basic Law, but it backed down after a huge demonstration.

BNO holders, though, will still technically not get right of abode in the UK, as they will still be subject to a UK visa. However, the visa – which is for five years – lets the holder live and work in the UK without recourse to public funds. After five years, the holder can then apply for a type of permanent residency, which lasts a year. After the full six years are up, the holder can apply for full UK citizenship.

Before the BNO visa was announced, the BNO passport used to just offer the holder the right to visit the UK for six months and UK consular protection, outside China. As the Hong Kong SAR passport became more widely accepted, many let their BNO passports expire. However, those who did, still have their BNO status registered with the British authorities and can still apply for the BNO visa.

Also the UK has said a physical BNO passport is not needed for a BNO visa and that Hong Kong residents with BNO status can use their Hong Kong SAR passports and still get the BNO visa.

At the moment, China’s move is largely symbolic as Hong Kong residents with BNOs are nearly all Chinese citizens, who would not normally use their BNO passports to travel to the mainland or overseas. In the case of the former, they have special identity cards issued by the mainland government, known as return homeland passes. For overseas travel, the Hong Kong SAR passport has wider recognition than the BNO passport and is cheaper.

Nevertheless, China says it retains the right to take further action. In Hong Kong, there has been talk of a potential public office ban for BNO holders, and even the loss of SAR residency rights. China believes the BNO visa undermines its sovereignty and, at a press conference in Beijing on Friday, it scorned the move.

“Britain is trying to turn large numbers of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens. This has completely changed the original nature of BNO,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a briefing.

On Saturday, writing on her blog, the Hong Kong justice secretary Teresa Cheng backed Beijing’s stance. She said the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration had no clause that provided for British rights, or obligations, to Hong Kong after the handover.

The 250 pound (US$340) visa could attract more than 300,000 people and their dependants to Britain and generate up to 2.9 billion pounds of net benefit to the British economy over the next five years, according to UK government forecasts.

It is still highly uncertain how many people will actually take up the offer. (With additional reporting from Reuters)

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Last updated: 2021-01-30 HKT 12:12