On hong kong, britain has a chance to lead the world | thearticle

With the exception of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the most consequential action by this Government so far is, almost certainly, the decision to offer British citizenship to up to

3 million people in Hong Kong. By inviting all 350,000 holders of British National Overseas passports to apply for citizenship, while opening the door to another 2.6 million who are eligible

for such passports, Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, is risking Chinese wrath. Beijing has seized the opportunity of Western disarray to impose harsh new legislation on the former

British colony that will effectively do away with the principle of “one country, two systems” on which its prosperity has depended. Washington has already threatened to revoke Hong Kong’s

special trading status. For Hong Kongers who pride themselves on freedom and the rule of law, this is the moment of truth. By making this gesture, the British Government has also embarked on

a more generous immigration policy than some of its supporters bargained for. If an exodus from Hong Kong on anything like the scale envisaged were to take place, it would have a

demographic and social impact here no less profound than previous waves of migration since the 1950s. Substantial numbers of people from Hong Kong have already moved here and are making a

valuable contribution. Welcoming hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, more of them is surely the right thing to do. That does not mean it will be uncontroversial. Britain needs to go

into this with its eyes open. Seven former Foreign Secretaries, led by Jeremy Hunt, have now written to Boris Johnson, urging him to offer “international leadership” to rally support for the

people of Hong Kong. They propose forming a “contact group”, as was done when Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s. Britain could play a key role in coordinating a united diplomatic

response to Beijing, ranging from the US to the EU and the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister has yet to respond, but their message has been heard. Downing Street and the Foreign Officer will

be working behind the scenes to make sure that whenever Westen leaders convene, Hong Kong will be high on the agenda. Donald Trump has postponed until September the G7 summit that he was due

to host this month, in part due to concerns expressed by Angela Merkel about travel to the US while the coronavirus crisis continues. The President has also suggested that the threat from

China is so grave that a larger group than the G7 would be appropriate. Such a summit cannot wait another three months. By then it may be too late to deter Beijing, not only from stifling

Hong Kong’s remaining civil liberties, but also from pursuing its wider ambitions in the Western Pacific. The rhetoric recently adopted by Xi Jinping’s regime has been full of denunciations

of Western democracies, from Australia to America. The pandemic has raised tensions in the West too, with China accused of manipulating the World Health Organisation. While the Trump

Administration has now withdrawn its funding, other countries are still working closely with the WHO, including the UK, which makes the largest contribution after the US. In some European

states, public opinion has swung sharply against the US during the crisis, while China has sent medical supplies in order to boost its image. Uniting the West won’t be easy. Given this

fractious global background, the “pathway to citizenship” offered to Hong Kong by the Foreign Secretary is likely to be a rocky one. This challenge is, however, also an opportunity. As a

co-signatory of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which established the basis of Hong Kong’s special status, Britain is uniquely qualified to bring the civilised world together on

this issue. Rather than wait for an increasingly distracted Donald Trump to reconvene the G7 in September, Boris Johnson should offer to host a summit specifically devoted to Hong Kong here

in London as soon as possible and no later than July. He should invite China to send a delegation, but make it clear that Beijing will not be allowed to obstruct discussion, let alone veto

any resolutions that emerge from the meeting. Almost certainly, Xi Jinping would boycott such a summit. That would leave the democracies to agree on a plan of action. Boris Johnson should

formulate such a plan to present to other world leaders. But he should keep an eye on the home front too. The British feel warmly towards Hong Kong and its people. Still, this unprecedented

offer needs to be explained carefully and with the utmost transparency. Providing a lifeline for Hong Kong could prove to be the Prime Minister’s most important and enduring legacy, but only

if he takes this country with him at every step.