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| Protesters in the Causeway Bay neighborhood of Hong Kong, on Jul 1, 2020. The sweeping new national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, grants Beijing broad powers to crack down on a variety of political crimes. (Photo by=Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] Hong Kong expatriates living in Britain welcomed London's pledge of "a pathway to future citizenship" for millions of the territory's residents after China imposed a controversial security law there. But they warned this "message of hope" would not help many, including those born after Hong Kong's 1997 return to Chinese rule and now aged over 18 who are at the forefront of protests against Beijing.
"It is helpful, it sends a strong message of hope to Hong Kongers, many of whom are waiting to be rescued from their city," a 35-year-old financial analyst living in London since 2005, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP. With relatives still in Hong Kong, he is very worried about their fate, especially those of university age. "These guys won't be helped directly by this but they are the ones who are more vulnerable – they stopped their university degrees to join the movement," he added, referring to protests that erupted last year. "
This proposal will definitely help some of the people who fear for their life –at least they have somewhere safe to go," said Abby Yau, 40, a naturalised British citizen after 19 years in the UK. "But at the same time I wonder how much it will benefit the majority of the people who are oppressed by the (Chinese) government."
