US may open doors to Hongkongers in response to China’s push for national security law, Mike Pompeo says
- Asked about welcoming people from city to ‘come here and bring their entrepreneurial creativity’, Secretary of State says Washington is ‘considering it’
- Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell in favour of such a move, saying US has ‘rich heritage of standing as beacon of light’
The United States is considering the option of welcoming people from Hong Kong in response to China’s push to impose national security legislation in the former British colony, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in remarks released on Monday.
Influential Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell told that chamber on Monday he hoped the Trump administration would soon identify specific ways to “impose costs on Beijing” for curbing freedoms in Hong Kong, and said the United States should mirror the response of other democracies and open its doors to people from the city.
Speaking to the American Enterprise Institute on Friday, Pompeo gave no details about immigration quotas or visas when asked about Hong Kong, and merely said: “We are taking a look at it.” His remarks were shared by the State Department on Monday.
US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered his administration to begin the process of eliminating special US treatment for Hong Kong to punish China for curbing freedoms there, but stopped short of immediately ending privileges that have helped the city remain a global financial centre.
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Hongkongers with BN(O) passports could be eligible for UK citizenship if China imposes security law
Last week, Britain said it was prepared to offer extended visa rights and a pathway to citizenship for almost 3 million Hong Kong residents.
Asked if Washington was considering welcoming Hong Kong people “to come here and bring their entrepreneurial creativity”, Pompeo replied: “We are considering it. I don’t know precisely how it will play out.