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UK joins allies in defence of freedom in Hong Kong

The UK, US, Australia and Canada have issued fresh condemnation of Beijing's new security law for Hong Kong, which they say has ‘flourished as a bastion of freedom’.

Although China has rejected foreign criticism, the four nations have jointly stated that the international community has a ‘significant and long-standing stake’ in its prosperity and stability.

The proposed security law in the territory has been backed by China's parliament and could be in force as early as the end of June. It would make it a crime to undermine Beijing's authority in Hong Kong.

However, the UK, US, Australia and Canada argue that imposing the security law would undermine the ‘one country, two systems’ framework agreed before Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has suggested that the UK could offer British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong a path to UK citizenship if China does not suspend plans for a security law in the territory. There are currently 300,000 BNO passport holders in Hong Kong. If put in place, the move would mean that the current six-month limit on stays in the UK for BNO holders would be scrapped.

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