China threatens to trap up to 3 million people in Hong Kong by no longer recognizing their UK overse

[ripcord]

Source: Business Insider

China is threatening to stop recognizing the British passports held by millions of Hong Kongers, creating the prospect of up to three million people being banned from leaving the region.

Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the UK, on Thursday issued the threat in the latest escalation of a dispute between London and Beijing which began when China imposed a draconian security law on Hong Kong, a former British colony.

Xiaoming yesterday warned the UK that China would take steps to stop recognizing British national (overseas) passports as valid travel documents, effectively banning Hong Kong citizens from leaving and moving to the UK.

"Since the UK violated the pledge and commitment on BNO we have to take other measures not to recognise the BNO as a valid travel document," he said in a press conference on Thursday.

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-china-threatens-to-stop-recognizing-uk-issued-passports-2020-7

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You didn't think China was going to let all those productive people leave just because they wanted to did you?

[catsudon]

1. wait wait, i got this

china needs to *snicker* stay out of UK's internal affairs

[dalton99a]

2. Other countries could retaliate by refusing to recognize China's travel documents

[mwooldri]

3. That is a possible logical next step.

Another option is to issue HK British National Overseas passport holders regular UK passports.

If the PRC decides to no longer accept BNO passports and the holder doesn't have a HK passport as well then they are stuck, but yeah tit-for-tat stopping PRC nationals from leaving.