The US is granting temporary refuge to Hong Kongers amid the Chinese government’s effort to crush a democracy movement and tighten its control on the territory, the White House said on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden signed a memorandum allowing Hong Kongers residing in the US to live and work in the country for 18 months, a move likely to further inflame the already tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
The decision to provide a temporary safe haven comes in response to Hong Kong’s sweeping new National Security Law and other measures that undercut the rights promised when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.
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It also comes as China and the US are at odds over a range of foreign policy and trade issues.
“Given the politically motivated arrests and trials, the silencing of the media, and the diminishing space for elections and democratic opposition, we will continue to take steps in support of people in Hong Kong,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
The Chinese government has sought to stifle opposition following protests in Hong Kong in 2019 against a proposed law allowing extraditions to mainland China.
Under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, which took effect in June last year, police have arrested at least 100 opposition politicians, rights advocates and demonstrators.
Changes have also been made to Hong Kong’s election laws to reduce the number of directly elected lawmakers and give a largely pro-Beijing committee the leeway to nominate lawmakers aligned with the Chinese government.
“Despite widespread demonstrations, which brought millions together to call for greater freedom, Hong Kong’s promise of democracy has dimmed,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as the measure granting safe haven was announced.
China bristles at the criticism, saying it is merely restoring order to the territory and instituting national security protections found in other countries.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday slammed Biden’s move, accusing the US of “violently intervening” in the territory’s internal affairs.
“By offering so-called ‘safe haven,’ it is trying to bad-mouth Hong Kong, smear China, and engage in actions to destroy the city’s prosperity and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
Exiled Hong Kong democracy advocates last month pleaded with the US Congress to pass legislation to provide temporary refuge and permanent refugee status in the US after Hong Kong police confirmed they had a list of more than 50 people who would be arrested if they attempted to leave.
“With nearly every prominent pro-democracy voice in Hong Kong in jail, awaiting trial, or overseas in exile, it is clear that there is an increased need for the United States to do more, particularly now that Beijing is closing travel routes with the suspension of direct flights between Hong Kong and the UK,” they wrote in a letter to US lawmakers.
There are several thousand people from Hong Kong in the US who would be eligible to remain and avoid being deported under what is formally known as deferred enforced departure, the US Department of Homeland Security said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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