Government 'deplores And Opposes' UK Offer

The government has sharply criticised the UK government for offering a path to British citizenship for around three million Hong Kong people.

In what it described as a solemn statement, the government said it deplores and opposes the UK's new policy to ease the path to citizenship for those with BNO status.

It said that when the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984, the two sides exchanged memoranda in which Britain clearly pledged not to confer the right of abode in the UK on BNO passport holders who are Chinese nationals in Hong Kong.

It said it was hypocritical for London to deliberately violate its pledge, calling it a "political manoeuvre".

The government also said it supports an announcement from the ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing, which said China would consider not recognising BNO passports as valid travel documents and reserves the right to take further measures.

The SAR government said it would follow up accordingly.

The new policy from the UK government, as well as an earlier decision to suspend an extradition agreement with the SAR, came as a response to Beijing's imposition of the new national security law here, which Britain says breaches the terms of the Joint Declaration.

The Hong Kong government called on the UK to stop interfering in the affairs of the SAR, and return to, what it called, "the normal tracks".