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Pedestrians cross over the south side of Westminster Bridge in central London on October 21. The sight of Hongkongers leaving their vibrant, cosmopolitan city en masse for a cold, wet island could be an embarrassing one for Beijing. Photo: AP
Opinion
Opinion
by Michael Chugani
Opinion
by Michael Chugani

Beijing should ask itself why BN(O) passport holders want to leave Hong Kong, rather than issuing threats

  • Why does Beijing want to stop BN(O) passport holders from leaving anyway? They are likely to oppose the national security law and to have backed last year’s mass protests
  • So why not let these so-called unpatriotic troublemakers go – or would that prove too embarrassing?
Michael Chugani
Michael Chugani
Why you can trust SCMP

A threat is just that, unless it is followed through. Beijing’s threats are sometimes implicit, other times not. Australia and Sweden, among others, know its wrath. Canada and Britain are the latest targets.

Beijing’s threats often combine with the mantra that others must “correct their mistakes” and not “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”. My local friends jokingly use the Chinese expression “glass hearts” for people whose feelings are easily shattered. Mainland officials should explore new phraseology.

China’s ambassador to Canada made an implied threat two weeks ago about the health and safety of 300,000 Canadian passport holders here if Canada grants asylum to Hongkongers. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian’s threat last week was more explicit after Britain issued details for British National (Overseas) passport holders to settle there.
He renewed Beijing’s threat to not recognise the BN(O) passport, accusing Britain of breaking a pre-reunification promise not to grant abode rights to Hong Kong Chinese BN(O) passport holders. The Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office issued a statement demanding Britain “correct its mistakes”.

What puzzles me is how Britain has broken its promise when Beijing has declared more than once the Sino-British Joint Declaration is now an irrelevant historical document. By that same token, a pre-handover promise is now an irrelevant historical promise.

03:14

UK unveils details of citizenship offer for Hongkongers with BN(O) passport holders

UK unveils details of citizenship offer for Hongkongers with BN(O) passport holders
Technically, Britain is not offering right of abode to BN(O) passport holders. Right of abode as generally understood means promptly giving full residency rights with no preconditions. What’s on offer is a difficult and costly pathway to citizenship that would take years.

It is dystopian to even imagine how Beijing would impose its threat. Will it order airlines not to sell tickets to BN(O) passport holders? Wouldn’t that violate Hong Kong’s free market principles? Will it instruct the city’s immigration officials to block holders from exiting Hong Kong? Wouldn’t such an authoritarian measure further hurt the city’s reputation as a free society?

The Basic Law makes clear Hongkongers have the freedom of movement and emigration. Article 31 states holders of valid travel documents shall be free to leave unless restrained by law. Will Beijing amend the Basic Law to make the BN(O) an invalid travel document? Whether a passport is valid is for the issuing country to decide.

Some people have suggested Hongkongers could use the BN(O) passport to enter Britain but their Hong Kong passport to exit and enter the city. That is not the point. Curbing freedom of movement for BN(O) passport holders will kill whatever illusion is left of Hong Kong being Asia’s world city.

Why does Beijing want to stop BN(O) passport holders from leaving anyway? Holders who take up Britain’s offer are likely to be those who oppose the national security law, Beijing’s tightening grip and backed or joined last year’s mass protests.

Why not let these so-called troublemakers, rioters and unpatriotic people leave? Estimates suggest more than one million could leave, but Britain believes a more realistic number is several hundred thousand across a few years.
Could it be that an exodus of Hongkongers choosing to settle in a cold and wet country and taking their wealth with them would embarrass Beijing?

I have twice lived in London and was there last October. The Tube is run-down. The country has handled the coronavirus badly. However, West End theatre shows are awesome. Hyde Park on sunny days is unbeatable. Most importantly, you can breathe the fresh air of freedom, unlike in today’s Hong Kong.

It’s not just BN(O) passport holders wanting to leave. There’s a big spike in Hongkongers seeking asylum or emigrating to other democracies such as Australia, Canada and Taiwan. Instead of threatening the free movement of BN(O) passport holders, which would further hurt Hong Kong’s image, Beijing should ask itself why people want to leave.

By correcting its own mistakes and changing its mentality that it is always right, Beijing may begin to understand Hong Kong and the world more.

Michael Chugani is a Hong Kong journalist and TV show host

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