China’s embassy in London sharply condemned the U.K.’s expansion of its visa program for Hong Kong residents, describing the move as interference in China’s internal affairs. The statement came shortly after a Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison under the national security law.
On Monday, the U.K. widened the British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme to allow children of BNO status holders those under 18 at the time of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover to apply independently of their parents. In response, a Chinese embassy spokesperson accused the program of misleading Hong Kong residents into leaving their homes, only to face discrimination and hardship in the U.K., living as “second-class citizens.” The spokesperson called the expansion “despicable” and “reprehensible,” reiterating China’s longstanding opposition to what it views as U.K. meddling in its domestic affairs.
The BNO visa scheme, introduced in 2021 following Beijing’s imposition of the national security law, has already granted visas to over 230,000 Hong Kong residents, with nearly 170,000 relocating to the U.K.
Lai, 78, founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, has long been a prominent critic of Beijing. Arrested in August 2020, he faced charges of conspiring with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials. His 20-year sentence is the harshest ever imposed under the law, and he had pleaded not guilty to all counts.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing last month, urging his release. The British government criticized the national security law for criminalizing dissent and prompting many residents to leave Hong Kong. Officials noted that the expanded visa route is in response to a “deterioration of rights and freedoms” and anticipates 26,000 people arriving in the U.K. over the next five years.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee defended the sentence, accusing Lai of harming society through Apple Daily and colluding with foreign forces. International voices, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, have called the ruling “unjust and tragic” and urged authorities to grant humanitarian parole for Lai.