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Hong Kong
12 November 2020
Lead MP
Nigel Adams
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Foreign Affairs
Other Contributors: 35
At a Glance
Nigel Adams raised concerns about hong kong in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Yesterday, China's National People’s Congress Standing Committee imposed new restrictions on Hong Kong legislators who support independence or endanger national security, leading to the immediate removal of four elected members from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. This action breaches the legally binding Sino-British joint declaration and undermines Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedom of speech. It is part of a pattern designed to suppress critical voices in Hong Kong. The UK has responded by offering a new immigration path for British nationals overseas, suspending our extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and extending an arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong. The UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong and uphold international obligations.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
What are the Government going to do as 'one country, two systems' disappears before our eyes? The disqualification of pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council means it has effectively been reduced to a rubber-stamp Parliament. What legal routes to defend the joint declaration are being considered and what actions have been taken with international allies?
Minister reply
The Minister welcomes the opportunity to meet the shadow for further discussions on the matter. He confirms ongoing coordination with international partners like Australia, USA, Canada, Germany, and EU members to hold China accountable. The UK is considering further designations under its Magnitsky-style sanctions regime. Regarding BNO citizens, the Home Secretary announced a new route for BNO status-holders and their dependants, with 2,116 applications processed from July to October 2020.
Thomas Tugendhat
Con
Tonbridge
Question
What conversations has the Minister had with international trade partners to ensure that Hong Kong is correctly designated as part of China and no longer enjoys separate status for customs or commerce?
Minister reply
The UK aims to engage positively with China on trade while protecting national interests. Recent figures show a growth in exports to China during challenging times, indicating the importance of this relationship. The Government will continue to hold China accountable for its international commitments and promises.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberavon Maesteg
Question
The Labour party stands in solidarity with pro-democracy representatives who have been removed from the Legislative Council and those who have resigned in protest. The UK Opposition welcomed the Government’s recent announcement regarding BNO passport holders, but it would be unacceptable for the UK Government now to conclude that they have done all they can for Hong Kong residents. Questions include whether the British Government are legally obliged through the joint declaration to defend human rights, when details of support will be available for those born after 1997, and if senior Hong Kong officials will be added to the Magnitsky list.
Minister reply
The Minister thanks the Labour spokesman and notes that it is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated under the sanctions regime. The Government have offered a new immigration path for BNOs, suspended their extradition treaty with Hong Kong, extended their arms embargo, and led international efforts to hold China accountable.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
Congratulates the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on her position regarding Hong Kong issues and agrees that an arrogant Chinese leadership has trashed the Sino-British agreement with human rights abuses. Calls for sanctions against individuals responsible, starting with Carrie Lam in Hong Kong.
Minister reply
The Minister thanks Iain Duncan Smith and confirms ongoing consideration of designations under sanctions regulations. He acknowledges actions such as offering a new immigration path for BNOs, suspending the extradition treaty, extending arms embargoes, and leading international efforts.
Question
Acknowledges limited things that the UK Government can do but calls for Magnitsky sanctions. Asks about an audit of Chinese engagement with academic infrastructure, particularly Confucius institutes, and looks at audits of UK companies engaged in trade in Hong Kong to ensure they are not benefiting from slave labour.
Minister reply
The Minister thanks Alyn Smith and confirms the Government’s stance against any attempt to undermine free debate or academic freedom. He mentions ongoing work on telecoms network security and is open for meetings with the hon. Gentleman.
Question
Asks if the Chinese ambassador has been summoned following recent developments, and inquires about protecting freedom of religion or belief in Hong Kong.
Minister reply
The Minister confirms that the Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office. He also states that the Government are very concerned by restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China.
Sarah Champion
Lab
Rotherham
Question
Asks about measures taken to hold China accountable for breaches of international treaties and what consular support is provided to Hongkongers.
Minister reply
The Minister states that they are working with international partners, have summoned the Chinese ambassador, and have been robust in upholding the joint declaration. He mentions efforts at the United Nations regarding human rights.
Question
Concerned about BNO passport holders becoming a critical lifeline to Hongkongers but worries that those with links to Beijing may seek to come to the UK and enjoy democratic liberties. Inquires about discussions with the Home Office.
Minister reply
The Minister confirms that existing provisions in immigration rules will apply regarding criminality and adverse behaviour, ensuring those seeking to undermine democracy cannot take advantage of BNO passport holder benefits.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
Under the national security law, individuals and companies outside Hong Kong and China can be prosecuted for offences that pertain to that law. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that Hongkongers in the UK or British-based businesses with operations in Hong Kong will not be targeted by this repressive law?
Minister reply
We have made our position very clear on the national security law, and we are in contact with firms that have investments both ways between China and the UK. We believe it is vague and far-reaching and could have very damaging consequences.
Question
Will the Minister join me in condemning these blatant attacks on democracy, and does he recognise that continual attempts to deny the will of the Scottish people in relation to our own constitutional question will also be viewed by the watching world as an attack on democracy?
Minister reply
Of course, we object in the strongest terms to the actions that have been taken in the last 48 hours.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Sussex Weald
Question
If our friends and allies can gather enough evidence on Chinese officials’ abuses of the Uyghur, what is stalling the Minister’s Department in doing the same?
Minister reply
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will consider any evidence that is put forward. If my hon. Friend has such evidence, I urge her to get in touch with that Department.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Question
Are the Government actively considering compiling a case to take China to the International Court of Justice for breaching the Sino-British treaty for the third time, as well as the Vienna convention on the law of treaties?
Minister reply
We cannot submit a case to the ICJ without the consent of China. In my judgment, it is very clear that China would not accept that.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Question
What progress has the Minister made in identifying senior Chinese Government officials who have committed serious human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang? When will the Government do more than just consider Magnitsky sanctions?
Minister reply
We are constantly considering designations under our Magnitsky-style regime, but it is not appropriate to speculate on the names of those being considered.
Question
Can the Minister explain the difference in terms of why emergency Magnitsky-style sanctions were rightly imposed in Belarus and why they are not being imposed on Chinese officials with regard to their behaviour in Hong Kong or Xinjiang?
Minister reply
We will continue to consider designations under our regulations, but it is absolutely inappropriate for us to speculate on who may be designated under the sanctions regime.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that we should encourage and welcome Hongkongers who wish to leave Hong Kong for the UK, noting examples from Hungary in 1956, Iranians in 1979, and Chinese after Tiananmen Square in 1989?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We very much look forward to welcoming applications under our new immigration route.
Alistair Carmichael
Lib Dem
Orkney and Shetland
Question
What will the Minister do with that very useful tool, especially if we were to pursue this through our membership of the UN Human Rights Council?
Minister reply
We are working closely and hard with the EU on these issues.
Question
What is the Minister’s message to the people of Hong Kong?
Minister reply
We will always stand by Hong Kong. We believe that there have been three breaches of the joint declaration, and we will not stop speaking up on behalf of the people of Hong Kong when we believe there have been serious breaches.
Question
Will the Government consider abolishing the immigration health surcharge for BNO applicants?
Minister reply
We have developed proposals for a bespoke immigration route for them and their dependants with five years’ limited leave to remain, but the issue of the health surcharge is a matter for the Home Office.
North Cotswolds
Question
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for confirming to the House this morning that this is the third breach of the Sino-British agreement, which was registered at the UN. He and the Foreign Secretary must now show the Chinese that this sort of breaking of international norms has consequences. Will he therefore build as wide a coalition of the free world as possible to act in unison on things such as the Magnitsky sanctions?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this. We have already seen statements from four of our partners earlier today. I understand there may very well be a statement from the European Union later. In response to these developments, we have offered this new immigration path, suspended the extradition treaty and extended our arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong. We will continue to raise our concerns internationally at the UN.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Question
One country, two systems was supposed to be a magic formula, but it has turned out to be nothing more than a mirage. The British Government are bound by their obligations through the joint declaration to defend human rights in Hong Kong. Does the Minister not run the risk of allowing the UK to default in its treaty obligations if it fails to do more to hold the Hong Kong Executive and the Chinese Government to account on this?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise his question. I do not necessarily agree with his last point. On the one country, two systems point that he raises, these actions by China have had an incredibly detrimental impact on many areas of one country, two systems. We will do everything possible to uphold Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and, most importantly, the rights and freedoms under the joint declaration.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
I welcome my hon. Friend’s clear statements in relation to the violations of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. Will he assure me that he will continue to speak out against any violations of the one country, two systems protocol that we have and take up in every international institution, including the United Nations Security Council, this clear abuse of democracy in Hong Kong?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Again, I would like to thank him for his continued work on this issue. We have played a leading role in the international community in holding China to account.
Chris Bryant
Lab
Rhondda and Ogmore
Question
I am sorry to say that it feels as if the Government have given up on this, to be honest. They did not choose to make a statement on this; they had to be dragged to the House by an urgent question. Frequently, it is Back Benchers in this House who are dragging the Government to make more categorical statements and to stand up to the cross words, which is so far all we have had.
Minister reply
I have got an awful lot of time for the hon. Gentleman, but to accuse this Government of sitting idly by on this issue, frankly, is nonsense. We have led the international community in this regard, and we have made incredibly generous offers in terms of the BNOs.
Kieran Mullan
Con
Bexhill and Battle
Question
I am afraid that history teaches us what happens if regimes like this are not stood up to, but we cannot act alone, so what engagement has the Foreign Office had—at an early stage, I know—with the incoming American Administration?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a reasonable point. We have seen this morning the United States make its statement on these latest moves to disqualify the four legislators. The Prime Minister has had conversations with the President-elect, and I am sure that Hong Kong will feature in future conversations.
Question
The Security Council is hamstrung because of China’s veto and the General Assembly is largely supportive of Chinese policy. May I ask my hon. Friend the Minister what sort of feel he gets from the forum of the world, the United Nations, in support of what we are trying to do against China?
Minister reply
What I can tell my hon. Friend is that we work very closely with our international partners, and to have 39 countries sign up to our statement at the UN on this single issue was quite the achievement.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran) for securing this urgent question and the Minister for his answer. As MPs in this House, we stand side by side with the MPs in Hong Kong; they need to know that, and we are doing that today. Will the Minister outline whether any support can be offered to these MPs who have taken a stand, specifically in regard to their families?
Minister reply
I have laid out the terms and the offer that has been made to BNOs over the past couple of months. We completely understand the issue for Hongkongers and MPs advocating in particular for the families left behind.
Question
A great many of us have little faith in the processes at the United Nations when it comes to defending liberties in Hong Kong, precisely because of the influence of China at that body. Aside from the 39 signatures at the UN that the Minister has mentioned, will he please tell the House what precisely we are doing as a Government to build the international coalition of support?
Minister reply
As I say, and as my right hon. Friend will have seen this morning, we are working closely with our international partners. Australia, the US, Canada and Germany have all joined us with their statements this morning. We will of course continue to work with our partners—our Five Eyes partners in particular—to hold China to account.
Tan Dhesi
Lab
Slough
Question
After the ethnic cleansing of Buddhists in Tibet, the cold, calculated genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and the mistreatment of Christians and other minorities, the authoritarian Chinese Communist party regime has now turned its tyranny on to pro-democracy Hongkongers. What concrete steps is the Minister taking to mobilise our international partners so that the world’s democracies act against this human rights crisis in an effective and co-ordinated manner?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise this, and I know that he has a deep interest in freedom of religion and belief. We are very concerned about the reports coming out of Tibet. We had a debate in Westminster Hall on this very issue.
Scott Benton
Lab
Grimsby
Question
The legally binding joint declaration signed by China as well as the UK sets out that Hong Kong will have a high degree of autonomy. China must respect that. Will my hon. Friend assure the House that he will continue to work with our international partners to condemn these attacks on democracy in every possible way?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is 100% correct in every word he has just said. I can assure him that we will continue to lead this international effort against the violations and the breaches of the joint declaration. We are in constant touch with our international partners on this, not least Australia, Canada, Germany and the US, which, I reiterate, have all issued statements today condemning this action by China.
John Nicolson
SNP
Nairn, Errol, Badenoch and Strathspey
Question
Given the latest brutal attack by China on Hong Kong democracy and freedom of speech, will the Minister undertake to increase the number of visas available to Hong Kong citizens, tell us what he will do if they are not recognised by China and reassure those who may need them that they will have access and recourse, in the short term at least, to public funds in the UK if they need to flee?
Minister reply
It is a very generous offer that we have laid out to British national overseas citizens. We will expect them to be self-sufficient and contribute to UK society. We look forward to welcoming those applications. As I have said, the new route that the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary have hammered out is compelling and compassionate, particularly, as the hon. Gentleman will welcome, with regard to applications that are made as a family unit. We will use discretion in issuing a grant to children of BNO status holders who fall into this category.
Imran Ahmad Khan
Lab
Bradford West
Question
The United Kingdom, a stalwart champion of democracy, pluralism and liberty, has demonstrated its purpose to defend those values with all available tools, including Magnitsky-style sanctions. The disqualification of four Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council is another case in an ever-growing list of intrusions by the Chinese Communist party into the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong. Will my hon. Friend outline what efforts the Government are making to ensure a co-ordinated approach among our international partners to the crisis in Hong Kong and ensure that the Chinese Communist party is held responsible for its violations of both its international treaty obligations and fundamental human rights?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and his continued leading voice on these matters. We are focused on giving voice to the widespread international concerns, basically in order to protect Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms. As I have said, the increasing number of countries supporting joint statements in the UN’s various human rights bodies underscores, we believe, the success of our approach. There are elections next September, and there not being an effective Opposition voice in them when half of the Legislative Council is appointed does make a bit of a mockery of the situation. We will continue, however, to call on China to uphold the contents of the joint declaration and, most importantly, live up to its responsibilities.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Question
Extending the right to apply for BNO status has been very welcome and indeed is a lifeline to many Hongkongers. However, the CCP is likely to do its utmost to obstruct the process. Will the Government consider giving diplomatic assistance to legitimate applicants who are still in the process of applying but might get arrested under the draconian new security laws?
Minister reply
We are very much opposed to, and have called out, the new national security law. We welcome applications under our new immigration system, which has been broadly welcomed in the House and beyond for Hongkongers. Of course, the Home Office will work with applicants on visas. On the specific point the hon. Lady makes, if she writes to the Home Office, it will hopefully be able to give her the satisfaction she is looking for.
Felicity Buchan
Con
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that this latest step really does indicate that we have seen the end of the one country, two systems approach?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises a good point that has been made previously. These latest actions by China have had an incredible impact on many areas of the one country, two systems approach. However, I assure her and all right hon. and hon. Members of the House that we will continue to do everything possible to uphold Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms under the joint declaration.
Gavin Newlands
SNP
Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Question
The world has watched aghast as President Trump desperately tries to suppress domestic democracy. Thankfully, his successor President-elect Biden has promised to fully enforce the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. Ironically, even the Trump Administration have imposed sanctions on four more Chinese officials in Hong Kong over their role in crushing dissent. What concrete action will the Minister’s Government take to uphold the Sino-British joint declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law, which were supposed to grant a high degree of autonomy to Hongkongers until 2047?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise this issue. This should have been a 50-year agreement. We continue to call out breaches of the joint declaration. The actions we have taken at the UN have been almost unprecedented, having 39 co-signatories. We will continue to call out China on its actions with regard to Hong Kong, and, as we speak, the permanent under-secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador to make our points incredibly clear to him directly.
Janet Daby
Lab
Lewisham East
Question
The anti-democratic national security law shows that China is willing to break the Sino-British joint agreement, and that puts religious freedom under threat. Religious leaders in Hong Kong are already fearful for their safety, with some scared to read certain scriptures in case they are accused of subversion by the Government. What conversations is the Secretary of State having with the authorities internationally on the dangerous experience of people of faith in Hong Kong, and what will he do if the situation worsens?
Minister reply
It is absolutely the case that all countries, China included, must comply with their international obligations. Freedom of religion and belief is incredibly important, and this UK Government take that incredibly seriously. We will continue to make the case that individuals should have the ability to practise their religion, and whatever they believe in, in a free way. We will continue to call out any transgressions of that where people are being oppressed, not least in mainland China.
Shadow Comment
Layla Moran
Shadow Comment
The Liberal Democrats urge the Government to take more decisive action as 'one country, two systems' disappears in Hong Kong. The shadow questions what legal routes are being considered to defend the joint declaration and requests details on coordination with international allies such as the USA and EU. She also calls for Magnitsky-style sanctions against those responsible for human rights abuses and proposes a bursary scheme under the BNO citizenship scheme to assist young protesters unable to afford the visa costs.
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