Hong Kong: China will no longer recognise British national overseas citizens
January 29, 2021, 12:26 pm

Hong Kong: China will no longer recognise British national overseas citizens

Hongkongers holding British national overseas passports can apply for UK visas from Sunday. The visas could eventually lead to citizenship.

Move comes after UK says people with status can move to Britain and eventually settle

China has announced it will no longer recognise the passports of British national overseas citizens just hours after the UK launched its scheme to give passport holders a path to residency as political freedoms decline in Hong Kong.

“From 31 January, China will no longer recognise the so-called BNO passport as a travel document and ID document, and reserves the right to take further actions,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, told reporters, according to AFP.

It was still unclear whether or not the decision would affect the possibly tens of thousands of people who had been planning to leave Hong Kong since the scheme was announced last summer in response to national security legislation.

Hong Kong citizens and foreign residents are not required to show a passport when they depart Hong Kong international airport, instead using a smartcard ID.

Hong Kong’s web of nationalities may further complicate the matter as not all Hong Kong citizens hold Chinese passports, although all Hongkongers with historic familial ties to the mainland are considered Chinese citizens by Beijing.

Hundreds of thousands of people, chief among them 300,000 Canadians and 100,000 Australians, are also dual citizens in addition to the city’s nearly 3 million BNO citizens.

This weekend, the BNO citizens will be able to begin applying to take their families to the UK when an immigration scheme goes online on Sunday in Hong Kong, followed by a smartphone app on 23 February.

On Friday, the British prime minister hailed the scheme, which offers a route to British citizenship, saying it honoured the UK’s commitment to its former citizens.

“I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BNOs to live, work and make their home in our country,” Boris Johnson said.

“In doing so we have honoured our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy – values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear.”

Under the scheme, the UK estimates nearly 3 million Hongkongers and their dependents will be eligible to move to Britain for five years and apply for full citizenship.

The BNO scheme was first announced in July as controversial national security legislation imposed by Beijing went into effect in Hong Kong, sharply curtailing political freedoms.

It was soon followed by a wave of arrests of dozens of pro-democracy activists and politicians, including well-known names such as Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and the media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who has been charged under the new security law.

China says the path to citizenship is a violation of international law and interferes with its internal affairs.

The Hong Kong dissident Lam Wing-kee, who moved to Taiwan in 2019 and reopened his bookstore Causeway Bay Books last year, told the Guardian he thought the scheme would be of great use to young people, including those who had already moved to Taiwan.

“Taiwan is still influenced by China. They worry whether Taiwan is safe. So people in their 20s, many want a life, and they want work, my thinking is they would rather go to the UK than Taiwan,” he said.

Between January and November 2020, the number of Hong Kong residents in Taiwan grew by 85% according to Taiwan’s mainland affairs council, from about 5,000 to 9,500.

While Taiwan is a democracy, Beijing’s Communist party considers the island part of its sovereignty territory and operates covert influence campaigns there.

The UK has said it was unclear how many BNO holders would make use of the scheme due to Covid-19. Applications for the visas open on Sunday followed by a digital version via smartphone app on 23 February.

The Home Office estimates, however, that between 123,000 and 153,700 Hongkongers and their families will use the scheme in the first year and up to 322,400 over the next five years, bringing in between £2.4bn and £2.9bn to the UK by 2025.

Michael Mo, a district councillor in the Tuen Mun area of Hong Kong, was concerned that Hongkongers faced potential risks applying in person at the UK’s two visa application centres, one of which is in the pro-Beijing North Point district on Hong Kong Island, and the other nearby in Quarry Bay.

“Consider the visa centre has no diplomatic immunity and the -backed national security office is just two subway stops away,” he said. “How could applicants feel safe getting there?”

With restrictions on public gatherings limited due to Covid regulations, he said Hongkongers may have difficulty queueing outside the office and might prefer to wait until the app was ready in February.

Since 2014’s “umbrella revolution”, thousands of ordinary Hongkongers have faced prosecution for their political activities, with a sharp increase following 2019’s wave of democracy protests.

In the most recent case this week a 74-year-old activist, Koo Sze-yiu, received a four-month prison sentence on Thursday for desecrating the Hong Kong flag, according to the public broadcaster RTHK.

Hong Kong’s political prosecutions and security legislation have been scrutinised at home and abroad. The new security law also violates the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration between China and Hong Kong, the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said last Friday.

The agreement laid out the terms for Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 after 150 years of colonial rule.

Under an arrangement known as “one country, two systems” Hong Kong was promised semi-autonomy until 2047 and a level of political freedom not known on the mainland, but many believe that arrangement is largely over as Beijing continues to tighten the screws.

In addition to a crackdown on political dissent, more hardline mainland officials have recently arrived in Hong Kong, signalling more changes in the near future.

Arrivals include a new anti-corruption chief, Shi Kehui, announced this week, and Xia Baolong, the new head of the Hong Kong and Macau affairs office installed last February, who is best known for demolishing underground churches elsewhere in China.

source: Erin Hale

Levant

Covid cases push UK closer to double-dip recession Brexit: British business leaders warn of 'substantial difficulties' at UK ports

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.