Australia’s offer Thursday of permanent residency for thousands of Hong Kong residents seeking to escape Chinese Communist oppression drew a furious reply from Beijing.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his conservative coalition government was suspending its extradition agreement with the former UK colony and, in addition to extending the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers already in the country, was opening the door to thousands more wanting to start a new life of freedom in the land Down Under.
Morrison said the decisions were taken in response to China’s imposition last week of oppressive new security laws in Hong Kong, which he said “constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances” for the semi-autonomous territory.
Hand’s Off Hong Kong! Boris Johnson Warns China That UK Will Offer Path to Citizenship for 3 Million HK Citizens https://t.co/DPHldwMCte
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 3, 2020
“Australia is adjusting its laws, our sovereign laws, our sovereign immigration programme, things that we have responsibility for and jurisdiction over, to reflect the changes that we’re seeing take place there,” he said during a press conference.
ABC News reports China’s embassy in Canberra shot back quickly, condemning the steps as “a serious violation of international law… and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs”.
“China strongly deplores and opposes the groundless accusations and measures” announced by Australia, it said. “We urge the Australian side to immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs.”
An editorial in the Global Times, the tame official mouthpiece of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, went further.
It called Australia’s act of generosity, “a violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations and gross interference in China’s internal affairs.”
As the people of #HongKong look elsewhere for opportunity, we’ve put in place measures to welcome our friends and grow the economy. pic.twitter.com/D9VjmgmOLb
— George Brandis (@AusHCUK) July 9, 2020
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said China’s moves in Hong Kong were discussed earlier Thursday with Australia’s so-called “Five Eyes” security partners — New Zealand, the United States, Britain, and Canada.
Morrison’s announcement came a day after China opened a new office in Hong Kong for its security agents to implement the law targeting acts of “subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion.”
The regressive law is the most radical change in Hong Kong’s freedoms since Britain handed the city back to China in 1997 under an agreement designed to preserve its way of life for 50 years.
China has bristled at widespread global criticism of the law and Australia’s move to provide safe haven to some Hong Kong citizens was expected to worsen already rising tensions between the two.
China Warns Australia: Drop Coronavirus Probe or Pay an Economic Price https://t.co/V54exGJuOT
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 27, 2020
Beijing in recent months has imposed tariffs on some Australian imports and impeded trade in other key commodities in response to Australian steps to counter Chinese interference in the country.
China, Australia’s biggest trade partner and a competitor for influence in the Pacific, was notably infuriated when Canberra led calls for a probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, as Breitbart News reported.
Australia warned intending China travelers on Tuesday to think again, cautioning they may face “arbitrary detention” by the Communist regime if they proceed.
AFP contributed to this story
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