Australia considering 'safe haven' offer to Hong Kongers
02 July, 2020
Australia is actively considering providing safe haven to Hong Kong people in response to China's sweeping new reliability law, it said on Thursday (Jul 2), a move more likely to further inflame tensions with Beijing.
Primary Minister Scott Morrison said the situation in Hong Kong was first "extremely concerning" and his federal government was "incredibly actively" considering proposals to welcome found in residents of the past British territory.
Asked simply by a reporter if Australia could extend an offer of secure haven, Morrison responded "yes".
He said the actions would soon be considered by his Cabinet, hinting strongly that it might be approved.
"We think that's significant and very consistent with who we happen to be as a persons."
Morrison's remarks come a good day after the United Kingdom released a new route for all those with Uk National Overseas position and their own families to maneuver there and eventually apply for citizenship.
Hong Kong was less than UK jurisdiction until Britain handed it back to China on 1997 with a warranty that Beijing would preserve the city's judicial and legislative autonomy for 50 years.
But critics say the brand new rules - passed by Beijing's rubber-stamp parliament this week without its text being released to the general public - breaches the "one nation, two systems" basic principle that formally entered international laws in 1984.
Morrison said no ultimate decision had been made about how Australia's arrangements will be structured however the country was "ready to step up and provide support" to Hong Kong people.
Any offer is sure to further strain Canberra's romance with Beijing, coming after repeated clashes between your two sides.
Lately, Australia enraged China by calling for an unbiased investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Canberra has also pushed backside against what it describes seeing as China's financial "coercion", covert influence promotions and the use of technology companies want Huawei as a tool for intelligence-gathering and geopolitical leverage.
China features warned its students and vacationers against likely to Australia, slapped trade sanctions on Australian goods and sentenced an Australian citizen to death for medication trafficking.
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