China on Thursday accused the United Kingdom of sheltering “wanted criminals” after outstanding Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law stated he had been granted political asylum there.
London and Beijing are at bitter odds over the destiny of Hong Kong, with Britain accusing China of tearing up its promise to keep up key liberties within the former colonial territory for 50 years after the handover.
Law stated Wednesday he had been granted asylum in Britain, after fleeing the semi-autonomous territory following the introduction of a sweeping new safety legislation.
That provoked an indignant response in Beijing.
“The UK is clearly a platform for Hong Kong independence agitators, and provides so-called shelter for wanted criminals,” overseas ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian advised reporters.
“The UK should immediately correct its mistake, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs,” he added.
Law, a 27-year-old former Hong Kong lawmaker and scholar activist, fled to the UK in July 2020 within the weeks after the National Security Law, opposed by pro-democracy protesters, was imposed.
Law wrote on Twitter that he had been granted asylum within the UK after a number of interviews over a interval of 4 months.
“The fact that I am wanted under the National Security Law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk,” he wrote.
The activist highlighted the plight of different asylum seekers within the UK from Hong Kong who may not have the identical weight of proof behind their claims.
“I hope that my case can help the Home Office understand more about the complicated situation in Hong Kong,” he added.
“To free more protesters from Beijing’s authoritarian oppression, the Home Office could consider more comprehensive evidence.”
Champion of democracy
Law’s destiny and the destiny of probably hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers who Britain has supplied a route to flee China’s crackdown, has turn out to be some extent of bitter diplomatic competition between Beijing and London, which ceded the previous colonial territory in 1997.
China stated earlier this yr it is not going to recognise the British National (Overseas) passport for Hong Kongers due to a brand new visa scheme launched in January providing a pathway to full UK citizenship for individuals who wish to go away the territory.
Beijing and London have in current weeks additionally clashed over Chinese sanctions in opposition to 4 UK entities and 9 people together with lawmakers which have spoken out in defence of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority.
Britain has condemned sweeping electoral reforms authorized by Beijing final month, that are anticipated to additional cut back the small variety of democratically elected lawmakers in Hong Kong.
Candidates for public workplace in Hong Kong may have their complete historical past vetted as Beijing seeks to make sure “patriots” run town.
Nine veteran activists have been additionally convicted by a neighborhood court docket earlier this week for organising one in all Hong Kong’s greatest peaceable pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Last yr, Britain protested jail phrases handed to a few main activists from the pro-democracy get together Demosisto, which Law cofounded.
The get together disbanded on the identical day China’s new safety laws was imposed in Hong Kong.
In exile, Law has continued to champion the reason for pro-democracy teams in Hong Kong on social media.
Last month, he hit out at mass trials of activists in Hong Kong, saying that they confirmed that “the Chinese Communist party nakedly abuses its powers and uses the courts to demonstrate that power”.
Read all of the Latest News and Breaking News right here
