"Most Hong Kong people think that 'one country, two systems' has already disappeared," says Ted Hui, a former pro-democracy lawmaker who has fled the city. They allowed holders to visit the UK visa-free for up to six months, but didn't automatically confer the right to . Britain's foreign secretary said China is in a "state of ongoing non-compliance" with the treaty signed by the two countries that guarantees Hong Kong's rights and freedoms after the city . Philippe Lopez/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. I miss my family and my friends. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Before I left, I looked at everything and thought that might be the last time I saw them. Since that law took force one year ago, Beijing has unleashed a stampede of actions to bring Hong Kong into political lock step with the Chinese Communist Party: arresting activists, seizing. A Chinese diplomat in London said the declaration was now void, according to a British lawmaker. Its the city where I grew up.. Given the risk of a global backlash, and the territorys vital financial role, many assumed that Mr. Xi would move cautiously. Its horrible. A man who allegedly booed the Chinese national anthem while watching an Olympic event at a shopping centre was arrested. Not even mainland Chinese scholars talked about this possibility at that time.. Ive met some people here who understand what happened in Hong Kong, and they have welcomed us. Last updated May 19, 2022 9:45 am (EST) Summary Before the British government handed over Hong Kong in 1997, China agreed to allow the region considerable political autonomy for fifty years. Banks have turned us down because we have been living here for less than a year. There is extensive consensus that no time should be lost in Hong Kong's development and that all interference should be removed. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. How are they coping? KWOK: Yes, definitely. Id heard about it, but there were so many difficulties with it.. You will still need to wear a mask if you visit . Mr. Xi came to power in 2012 amid expectations in Hong Kong that he might be a pragmatic overseer, content to rely on the politicians and tycoons who had long served as Beijings surrogates. If the government didnt offer it, most of us wouldnt have anywhere to go. We have some friends in jail because theyre journalists. I miss the landscape in Hong Kong and living by the sea. This happened back in 1992, when Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten proposed political reforms without prior consultation with China, who responded by accusing Britain of violating the declaration. But Hong Kong is very different now to how it was before. But as he settled into power, Mr. Xi revealed an iron-fisted ideological agenda. The sight of young people anywhere being brutally stripped of their freedom is depressing. Pro-Beijing politicians in Hong Kong were reluctant to push for national security legislation. Every day, I worried about [the police] knocking on our doors the fear was constant. She said she was going to the UK to study to be a psychologist, and was unlikely to return. And sometimes, I see on social media that they got together and play mahjong. Stay informed and spot emerging risks and opportunities with independent global reporting, expert Im safe now. Hundreds of protesters besieged the Central Liaison Office, Chinas primary arm in Hong Kong, and splattered black ink on the red-and-gold Chinese national emblem over the entrance. The crackdown on the 2019 pro-democracy protests, along with the introduction of a national security law in 2020, which allows authorities to curtail civil liberties and stamp out political dissent, was a step too far for many. But I wanted to make a fresh start here, so I decided to become a care worker. Meet the Hong Kong 'repats' moving back to Britain. John, walk us through why Xi Jinping was there. And what they meant was that you were only going back because you don't want to feel guilty, but actually, you are not going to contribute much to the movement by being in jail because I'm not a public figure at that time that could really raise any attention from the international media. But in Britain, you can dress however you like, you can have your own identity, youre free to express what you think. Would we see them again? Many in 1997 were worried that Hong Kong would lose its lustre under Chinese rule, An agreement between Britain and China at the time of handover enshrined freedoms for Hong Kong, Protesters sometimes clashed with police during the 2019 protests, Questions have been raised about Hong Kong's status as an international financial hub. Relations between China and these countries are clearly unstable. Ive had some friends who were arrested for being at the protests. Victor, a 28-year-old IT professional, likewise blamed the worsening political environment for his departure. T: I believe getting into finance could create much more value for me through my friends with those community because on one hand, many politically active young generations, they're quite against getting into finance because it's about making money. If we're given the chance to have a referendum in Hong Kong somehow tomorrow, what kind of society we want to build - that is actually the fundamental question that needs answering even more so than the question about what we have to do now. When we said goodbye to our parents the night before our departure, we thought it might be the last time we saw one another. I think they may be BNO holders. He previously covered major events around Asia from Taipei and Beijing. We want to them to remember where theyre from, she said. Many in Hong Kong had long worried that the citys autonomy was brittle, but previous Chinese leaders had preferred to exercise influence indirectly and covertly. Hong Kong is a former British colony, which was handed back to China in 1997. I left last April. It has scrutinized museums for potentially subversive artwork, according to a local official. All rights reserved. Chris Buckley is chief China correspondent and has lived in China for most of the past 30 years after growing up in Sydney, Australia. I wanted to be on the street, so we could tell the government what we thought. Perhaps Boris Johnson would care to refight the opium wars. Hong Kong is quite strange to me now and Britain is more familiar. The Hong Kong authorities have arrested more than 110 people in national security investigations over the past year, charging 64, including most of the citys best-known pro-democracy activists. Hong Kongs population declined by 1.2% in the past year, including nearly 90,000 more residents departing than moving to the city, government figures released on Thursday showed. Britain first took over Hong Kong island in 1842, after defeating China in the First Opium War. Its not the same Hong Kong any more. More than 600 Hong Kong residents stranded in Britain by a December flight ban are hoping to return by the end of April after the government pledged to bring them back, though many say they. During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages. Its sad. Not even the most draconian public proposals for security legislation had envisioned this step. To think we can sway authoritarian Beijing is fantasy. A Chinese Communist party-supporting newspaper in Hong Kong wrote an article about me, and I was worried I might be arrested again. It was supposed to mark a 50-year period of transition when Hong Kong would maintain economic and political freedoms. organisation Amid the Covid pandemic, Hong Kong airport is quiet except for twice a day, when long queues form at airlines desks for London-bound flights. A surge in withdrawals from the citys mandatory pension fund due to permanent departure also suggested many were leaving for good. His father had been a liberalizing leader in neighboring Guangdong Province, and Mr. Xi at first cultivated a relatively mild image. There are now plans to change this]. One time, on the tube, I saw an old gentleman dressed like Elton John. Today, in his speech, Xi Jinping really seemed to drive home one point, and that was that Hong Kong's political development was - is basically going to be on Beijing's terms. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing's rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin. The central government has the power to deal with these matters.. She and her husband decided to move after the introduction of the national security law. Read about our approach to external linking. Some expected fresh pressure on local lawmakers to enact security laws. I miss the old Hong Kong, the good old days when we were free. A certain tolerance might have better served Beijings image. 'We are not emigrating we are escaping'. When Britain withdrew from the colony in 1997, it offered many of its people an overseas British passport, with the possible right of UK residency. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would not give up on Hong Kong and would do all it could to hold Beijing to its commitments, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hong . My husband was working as a PR consultant in Hong Kong and found a job here as a project manager for an NGO. It demanded oversight of schools and media. BLOCK: Yeah. The UK has said it is considering more rights for holders of a special passport issued to some people in Hong Kong. It also drastically shrank the proportion of lawmakers who can be directly voted in by the people - from 50% to 22%. People were smiling. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, May 26 (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities on Friday condemned a British government call for the removal of a China-imposed national security law that. People are wary about talking about politics at newspaper stands. But it was the right decision for us to come. BLOCK: T, I'm curious to hear your thoughts as you hear Anna talk about that, about feeling guilty for missing out, feeling that she missed some really important part of history and taking part in that history. And do they think they will return? Keep abreast of significant corporate, financial and political developments around the world. They've faced difficult decisions since, personally and politically. International or Chinese financial centre? This ambition was fanciful. More about Vivian Wang, Austin Ramzy is a Hong Kong reporter, focusing on coverage of the city and also of regional and breaking news. In June 2019, vast numbers of Hong Kong residents protested a bill that would have allowed extradition to the mainland. Remind us, why is this day so important to China? China says the UK is sheltering fugitives after Hong Kong put bounties on the heads of eight pro-democracy activists who fled the territory. I think England is a good place for people to have a quiet life. T, welcome to you. After 2014, Mr. Xis calls for resurgent party power emboldened policy advisers to look for new ways to break the impasse over Hong Kong. The announcement stunned the city. 12,876 British nationals visited Hong Kong in 2022. BLOCK: Well, I hope both of you can meet over mahjong tiles in the not too distant future. Here, people are more tolerant. In 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China, triggering the start of a grand political experiment. We must live to tell why we had to flee., Hong Kong jails man, 24, for nine years under national security law, I covered Hong Kong for decades. Its not something that can happen anytime soon, she said in November 2019. That transition has taken a brutal turn, with China cracking down on those freedoms. They were screaming and trying to find a place to hide. And actually, someone told me very bluntly, if you want to go back to Hong Kong and serve jail time, that is actually a very selfish decision. I still check the news to see whats happening in Hong Kong, but its not easy to access information any more. In 1898, to enforce its control of the area, the UK leased additional land, known as the New Territories, promising to return them to China in 99 years. The city's chief executive elections also saw John Lee - a staunch Beijing supporter and the only candidate in the running- appointed to the role. Im here for five years, so theres time to explore my new life and not feel rushed. What will the next 25 years hold for Hong Kong? We were thinking about how to slow their strangling, stop it, and then turn for the better.. Are Italians ready to eat pasta made from insects? The ban on. That warning was widely misconstrued. But at the same time, since Hong Kong has returned to China's governance, they're trying to draw the connection between Hong Kong and China people. Accuracy and availability may vary. Some of my Hong Kong friends keep asking me: Have you experienced any discrimination, or do you feel like a second-class citizen? But its very multicultural here. But every visitor to China knows that what matters to Beijing is how something looks in Beijing, not abroad. As of 2022, nearly all of the LegCo members are pro-Beijing. For the past month, Ive been working as a regional coordinator for Hongkongers in Britain. His work is quite political, so we needed to leave. While the clampdown seemed to arrive with startling speed, it was the culmination of yearslong efforts in Beijing. What happens in 2047, which is the 50-year mark of the transition? And when you were still young, people would say, oh, you are going to be the leader of tomorrow and you're going to be the future. Hence the eye it keeps on Hong Kong, and over the horizon on South Korea and Taiwan. Even Beijings closest loyalists in Hong Kong underestimated how far he was ultimately willing to go. Read about our approach to external linking. But it has occasionally broken its silence, reminding residents that it looms behind the scenes. The annual candlelight vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and the 1 July handover anniversary march have been effectively banned by authorities. Background Britain acquired Hong Kong Island in 1842, the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860, and the lease of the New Territories in 1898. Many of them are now in jail, though, and others are afraid to meet. And I went to the border to witness Chinese troops coming across in armored personnel carriers and trucks for the first time. MARTNEZ: So it sounds like China hasn't lived up to its promises. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Why is US giving Ukraine 'abhorrent' weapons? The parliament is the Legislative Council (LegCo). ", "The U.K. has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong after the handover, and it has no so-called 'obligations' to Hong Kong citizens, a spokesperson said on Saturday. It had not been discussed in the media, said Albert Chen, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong who sits on a legal advisory committee to Beijing. 5 Min Read HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government on Thursday confirmed a Reuters report that it had told 14 countries to stop accepting a British travel document that many of its. The knock-on effect is obvious. A day earlier, the foreign ministers of the G7Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., the U.S. and the European Unionissued a joint statement declaring the changes approved by the National Peoples Congress (NPC), combined with the recent mass arrests of pro-democracy activists and politicians, undermines Hong Kongs autonomy. I hope that, one day, it can go back to how it used to be and we can return to the old Hong Kong values, where democracy and freedom were important. Now, we need to educate our kids so that when they grow up, they have the choice to either go back to Hong Kong or stay in the UK. said at a 2016 meeting about security legislation for Hong Kong, impose a national security law on Hong Kong. Lee believes many distinctive features of Hong Kong remain - and will likely stay the same beyond 2047. My daughter said: We didnt do anything wrong. At that moment, I realised we had to leave Hong Kong. This time, people are leaving Hong Kong with the expectation that they probably will not return.". A woman takes photos of her friends before entering the departures hall for her flight to Britain in July. Top loyalists and government advisers in Hong Kong were not briefed on the option, which might have risked inflaming the protests. You would watch the news and see police beating up young people. The number of regional headquarters of international firms in Hong Kong dropped by nearly 10% from 2018 to 2021. What we have been treated is the other way round, I would say. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many users needs. BLOCK: Anna, you were living overseas during the big protest waves that swept through Hong Kong in 2014 and 2019. Emigrating is expensive; not everyone is able to do it. Compared with emigrating to other countries, the costs are reasonable. He expressed particular concern over provisions that gave mainland Chinese authorities the power to assume jurisdiction over certain cases and try them in the mainland. Friends and families turn out in droves to see them off grandparents hand out lucky money in red envelopes to grandchildren, aunts and uncles joke with children to lighten the otherwise melancholic mood. The paper marked the opening of a contest for control in the city, culminating in the sweeping national security law that few saw coming. They realise the Hong Kong they once knew and loved has gone. We had no democracy but had the rule of law, the freedom of speech and assembly. Ive been organising some seminars for BNO visa holders to try to find out how we can help them integrate into UK life. How did you resolve that question for yourself, T, when you said you had to decide, how can I contribute? We would like to buy a house but it has been difficult to get a mortgage. After protesters defaced the national emblem at the Central Liaison Officein Hong Kong in July 2019, Chinese state media erupted. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The guesses were five years, perhaps 10. After the Second Opium War, Beijing was forced to also cede Kowloon. The U.K. government said China is in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a treaty signed by the two countries that guarantees Hong Kongs rights and freedoms after the city was handed back to Beijing in 1997. Why is US giving Ukraine 'abhorrent' weapons? All rights reserved. "The face of Hong Kong is evolving and it's probably becoming a little bit less international and a bit more mainland-oriented," Mr Kuijs says. You know, there are newspapers you just can't get anymore because they've folded. It has pointedly praised the arrests of high-profile figures, including opposition politicians and top editors of Apple Daily, a brash pro-democracy tabloid ensnared by the law and forced to close last week. Hong Kong developed rapidly under UK rule, becoming one of the world's major financial and business centres. Mr. Xis predecessor, Hu Jintao, had raised the possibility of fulfilling Chinas repeatedly delayed promise to let the public directly elect the chief executive, Hong Kongs top official. I love meeting and working with different people. Can France prevent tensions igniting again? The paper, published in June 2014, signaled the Chinese leader Xi Jinpings determination to tame political defiance in the former British colony, which had kept its own laws and freedoms. At the time, the city was promised "a high degree of autonomy" for 50 years. "Twenty-five years ago when China was much less developed than it is now, Hong Kong stood out as a very developed, internationally connected city," says Louis Kuijs, chief Asia Pacific economist of S&P Global Ratings. Something went wrong. She said although she wanted her children to integrate into UK culture, it was also important for them to maintain their Hong Kong identity. They werent violent, they didnt destroy anything, but they were arrested because they were there. The NPC passed a measure at the time that stipulated the four opposition members would immediately lose their seats in Hong Kongs legislative council, which prompted almost the entire pro-democracy camp to announce their resignations. UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men. Well, we're officially halfway there, and that autonomy is very much in question. I thank the Hong Kong people, the agencys chief, Zheng Yanxiong, said in a rare public speech on National Security Education Day, in April. Enough is enough, Regina Ip, a pro-Beijing legislator in Hong Kong, said in a recent interview, recalling the authorities reaction to the vandalism. JOHN RUWITCH, BYLINE: Yes, Xi Jinping was there to attend a joint event. Beijings apparatchiks laugh as London erupts in impotent fury, more than 100,000 Chinese students in Britain. Their defence of the enclaves even partial liberties is witness to a rarely cited legacy of British empire, the embedding of democratic values in indigenous politics. All travellers Although Hong Kong is now part of the People's Republic of China, it remains a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with its own immigration controls. Hong Kong officials don't track emigration. But at the same time, I'm quite sure that, you know, I'm on their mind. Hong Kongs soberer heads were right: the radicals should have lived with such freedoms as they were allowed. Street protests have been categorically banned by the authorities, citing the pandemic. To Beijing, the national emblems defacement confirmed that the protests had become an assault on its very claim to Hong Kong. He also noted that the security law does not provide legal and judicial safeguards in those cases. According to official figures, in the first quarter of this year, Hong Kong residents planning to leave permanently applied to withdraw HK$1.93bn (180m) from their MPF accounts a surge of 49% year-on-year. Those signals, often conveyed with the Communist Partys usual calculated opacity, failed to cut through the political tumult in Hong Kong. It was a commemoration of the anniversary, the 25th anniversary, and the swearing in of Hong. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region, and would retain certain freedoms, including: The territory has its own mini-constitution - the Basic Law - that enshrines these rights. Bringing out Chinese troops to quell protests could spook financial markets. His policy shifted between warnings and reassuring economic gestures, lulling some into thinking that the partys political bite would not match its rhetorical bark. No one, including the Western countries, truly believed that Hong Kong locally had the ability to complete this legislation..