Beijing, August 16, 2023 – The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom has criticized the way the British government is handling the BNO (British National Overseas) matter, expressing clear disapproval.
When asked about the UK’s recent announcement on August 14th about providing faster visa services for Hong Kong residents applying through the BNO route, the embassy spokesperson said, “China strongly disagrees with what the UK is doing with the BNO issue. This is meddling in Hong Kong’s matters and things within China.”
The spokesperson also pointed out that the UK’s actions don’t seem to genuinely aim at “protecting” the rights of people in Hong Kong. Instead, they appear to be trying to make Hong Kong look bad and create trouble there, but China thinks these efforts won’t succeed. Many Hong Kong residents who were persuaded to leave their home have ended up struggling for money and facing discrimination when they arrive in the UK.
In conclusion, the spokesperson called on the UK to see things realistically and stop doing things that seem fake, stop leading people in Hong Kong the wrong way, and stop interfering in China’s business.
Original Texts:
中国驻英国使馆发言人就英方操弄BNO问题答记者问
中国驻英国大使馆 2023-08-16 05:51 发表于北京
记者：8月14日，英内政部宣布，将为通过BNO签证路径申请来英港人推出优先签证服务。请问中国大使馆对此有何评论？
使馆发言人：中方一贯坚决反对英方操弄BNO问题，干涉香港事务和中国内政。
事实已充分证明，英方所作所为根本不是为了所谓的“保护”港人，而是图谋抹黑和祸乱香港，这绝不可能得逞。一些受蛊惑的港人背井离乡，抵达英国后生计窘迫，备受歧视，此类事例比比皆是。
我们敦促英方认清现实和大势，停止伪善表演，停止误导港人，停止干涉中国内政。
