Responses to the 2020 Chinese involvement with Hong Kong national security law
[11][12][13][14] On 29 May 2020, Trump ordered the removal of the special status enjoyed by Hong Kong due to Beijing's new national security law for the territory.
[17][18] Several statements urging respect for the One country, two systems principle, adherence to human rights norms, and local consultation were issued by the European Union;[19] Japan;[20] Switzerland;[21][non-primary source needed] the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia as a group, especially concerned with Sino-British Joint Declaration;[22][23][non-primary source needed] both the governing Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang in Taiwan;[24] the United States;[25] and a group of over 356 parliamentarians from 32 countries led by Chris Patten.
[26][27][28] China, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe expressed their support to the law at the UNHRC.
[1] Russia, North Korea, Cuba, Pakistan, Venezuela, Serbia, Syria, Iran, Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Myanmar said that no foreign state should interfere in China's internal affairs, and accused the US for doing so.
We are just pointing out as a matter of black and white in the joint declaration that China signed that it is in violation, direct violation, of undertakings freely given and we expect – as we expect any member of the international community as they expect of us – China to live up to those responsibilities.On 2 June both Raab and the Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy announced that the UK should set about creating a large international alliance beyond the Five Eyes to pressure China into stepping back on the matter of Hong Kong security, as well as to counter the "pro-China global alliance" that Raab said Beijing had formed to intimidate countries that oppose it.
[41] Raab continued to urge China to uphold the promises it made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a legally binding international treaty.
Raab said that the UK would sacrifice trade deals with China to support Hong Kong, but that presently it will remain in conversation with the international community on the matter.
[39] Chinese foreign minister Zhao Lijian threatened the UK in response, while Hong Kong protestors felt that the British offer did not go far enough.
[53] Further to Raab's proposal the day before, Johnson's 3 June announcement would cover the approximately 3 million Hong Kong residents born before 1997.
If China imposes its national security law, the British government will change its immigration rules and allow any holder of these passports from Hong Kong to come to the UK for a renewable period of 12 months and be given further immigration rights including the right to work which would place them on the route to citizenship.The extent of the scheme was clarified on 12 June 2020 by Home Secretary Priti Patel in correspondence with Johnson.
Patel expressed that 'dependents' would include partners and any children under 18 – this is criticised for leaving a gap of young adults born after 1997 who will not be able to access the scheme.
She did add that Hong Kong residents could start to come to the UK without restrictions while the scheme is still being set up, if the national security law is passed.
He said that all BNO passport holders and their dependents would be granted right to remain in the UK for five years, including being free to work and study.
[54] Raab said that an application process designed to be simple and streamlined would be created, and that there would be no quota on how many Hong Kong residents can come to the UK under the scheme.
[55] On June 15, European Union parliament called for a "joint motion for a resolution" to defend Hong Kong's autonomy and freedom.
[58] On June 30, the day before the enactment of the law, EU, along with USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and members of the ASEAN countries, launched the "International Lifeboat Campaign"[59] in which member countries begin modifying their visa requirement to allow for Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters fearing retaliation to leave Hong Kong.
[70] On June 26, UN Office of High Commissioner published a statement endorsed by 51 independent human rights experts urging China to withdraw the national security law in Hong Kong.
"[72] The nations endorsed this speech are Albania (as of July 15), Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
[73] Following persuasion from the UK, all members of the G7, notably including Japan, signed an official statement both urging China to reconsider the national security law and expressing concerns about human rights in Hong Kong on 17 June 2020.
These agreements covered the surrender of fugitive offenders, the transfer of sentenced persons, and reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships.
