China on Friday said it will “no longer recognise” the British National (Overseas) passport for Hong Kong people, as the United Kingdom prepares to open its doors to millions more residents of its former colony following a Beijing security crackdown.
“From January 31, China will no longer recognise the so-called BNO passport as a travel document and ID document, and reserves the right to take further actions,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
Beijing’s move to impose a national security law in June last year prompted Britain to offer refuge to almost three million Hong Kong residents eligible for BNO passport from January 31.
Members of the British parliamentary committee lined up to savage HSBC for supporting the law and for alleged hypocrisy in espousing ethical values elsewhere in the world
Will the EU-China Investment Agreement Survive Parliament’s Scrutiny?
A look at the remaining process for the CAI and the crucial role of the European Parliament, which could still vote the deal down.
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January 27, 2021
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On December 30, the European Union (EU) and China concluded negotiations for a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Through the agreement the EU hopes to address the asymmetry in bilateral relations, a serious concern EU member states have had vis-à-vis China for years (and a concern they share with Washington). Reaching an agreement, however, is only the first step in the process. While the European Parliament (EP) does not have the power to amend the negotiated text, it has the power not only to ratify but also to monitor the implementation of CAI.
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Hong Kong: HSBC chief defends bank s support for National Security Law and closure of former lawmaker s account HSBC chief defends bankâs support of Hong Kong security law and democratâs account closure 27 January 2021
The boss of banking giant HSBC insisted Tuesday he was legally obliged to close the accounts of a prominent Hong Kong democracy campaigner, as he faced a hostile grilling from UK lawmakers.
Chief executive Noel Quinn was accused by Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell of âdouble-standards, hypocrisy and appeasementâ in acceding to Chinaâs sweeping security crackdown in the former British colony.
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Since the 1997 handover, 879,000 mainland Chinese citizens have settled in Hong Kong, where they now comprise 12 percent of the population. Waves of sociopolitical unrest, including the 2012 anti-national education assembly, the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and the 2019 anti-extradition bill demonstrations, have compounded the levels of anti-Chinese sentiment in the city. Heightened levels of Sinophobia have been largely attributed to Hong Kong citizens’ desire to protect their local identity against a perceived invasion of mainland Chinese culture, language, and values.
Despite the growing Hong Kong-mainland China tensions, President Xi Jinping on October 14, 2020 encouraged Hong Kong citizens to work and live in the Greater Bay Area, in remarks during the 40th anniversary celebration of Shenzhen’s status as a special economic zone. In so doing, Xi hopes to boost the socioeconomic integration of Hong Kong citizens into the motherland. The Greater Bay Area is a megalop