Daily Management Review

FT: Beijing forces Hong Kong politicians to give up foreign passports


03/07/2023


Famous politicians and powerful businessmen in Hong Kong are being pressured by the Chinese government to give up their foreign passports if they want to be elected to the National People's Congress (NPC).



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The Financial Times refers to three sources. One of them is an ex-deputy of this body, another is a current deputy, and the third is well-versed in the selection process.

36 delegates from Hong Kong were elected to the National People's Congress in December for the first time since the widespread pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019.

Many Hong Kong residents also hold Canadian, Australian, or the United States passports in addition to their PRC passports. Many of them also possess so-called British National (Overseas) passport (BN(O), which were given to citizens of Hong Kong who were born prior to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. Such passport holders are eligible for consular assistance and protection, as well as the possibility of obtaining British citizenship.

At least one deputy running for re-election, according to FT interlocutors, was denied this chance because he had a BN(O) passport. BN(O) passport holders could have previously been elected to the National People's Congress, according to Beijing, but now "the message is: either you give it up or you don't get elected," the second interlocutor noted.

source: ft.com