China accuses Britain of ‘violating its promises’ and warns it may not recognise UK-issued passports

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China accuses Britain of ‘violating its promises’ and warns it may not recognise UK-issued passports for Hong Kong residents after Home Office changed visa rules

  • Row has broken out over visas available to British nationals in Hong Kong
  • Those with special passports can get visas to live in UK and get citizenship 
  • Chinese Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed Britain had ‘violated promise’

By Dan Sales For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A war of words has broken out between China´s foreign ministry and Britain after the East Asian giant threatened not to recognize British-issued passports for Hong Kong residents.

It came in apparent retaliation after the Home Office said British National Overseas passport-holders in the city could apply for special visas to live in the UK and gain citizenship.  

Chinese Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Britain had ‘violated its promises’ and ‘played up’ the issue of the BNO passports.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has accused Britain of ‘violating promises’

The Hong Kong passport, left, and right, the British National Oversea (BNO) passport

The Hong Kong passport, left, and right, the British National Oversea (BNO) passport

He said: ‘The British side violated its promises, insisted on going its own way and repeatedly played up the issue of BNO Passports. 

 ‘As the British side violated its commitment first, China will consider not recognizing the BNO Passport as a valid travel document, and reserves the right to take further measures.’

In May it was announced Britain would allow holders of the passports extended stays and the possibility of citizenship.

A protestor with his British passport and in a protest outside the consulate in Hong Kong

A protestor with his British passport and in a protest outside the consulate in Hong Kong

How the visa works

From January, British National Overseas passport holiders and their immediate family can apply for 30-month or five-year visas to live, work and study in the UK.

They can seek British citizenship once they have been in the country for more than five years, and will not need a job or valid passport to apply.

They can use an expired passport to provide their identity or the Home Office has pledged to help confirm the status of those without documentation. 

Officials have stressed that these figures are at the high end of their estimations and may not be reached. 

The assessment also gives ‘central range’ figures, anticipating between 123,000 and 153,700 people could arrive in the first year.

This could jump to between 258,000 and 322,400 over five years.

At the lower end of the scale, the department estimates as few as 4,000 people could come to the UK in the first year, with up to 9,000 over five years.

The net impact from the arrivals could be between £2.4 billion and £2.9 billion in revenue to the UK over five years.

The news prompted thousands of Hong Kong residents to rush to renew or apply for them as Beijing stepped up restriction on political expression.

At least three million people are thought to be eligible for BNO status and there are around 366,000 passports in circulation.

They let them and their immediate family members live and work in the UK and eventually apply for citizenship.

One condition is that they must show they have the means to support themselves in the UK for six months, and will not be entitled to public support or benefits.

An estimated number of up to one million people from Hong Kong could emigrate to the UK in the next five years under the new arrangements.

Some 500,000 could arrive in the first year after the visa becomes available in January, the estimations from Home Office officials suggest. 

This argument is the latest in a series of rows between the two countries.

Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997 and the sides have increasingly feuded over civil rights in the territory.

Britain accuses China of failing to live up to its pledges to maintain freedoms in the special administrative region, while Beijing says London is interfering in its internal affairs.

Differences have sharpened since China in June imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in response to months of anti-government protests last year.

London suspended its extradition treaty with the territory and has offered political asylum to persons targeted under the new legislation.