China’s imposition of the new national security law on Hong Kong will have an impact on relations between Beijing and the European Union (EU), warned the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
“We approve today a double message with support for Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental freedoms and, for China, we said that the measures will have an impact on our relations,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy at a conference of press after a meeting of the Foreign Affairs ministers of the 27, in which one of the themes was the situation in Hong Kong.
Borrell said that European ministers agreed to “develop a coordinated EU response” to “demonstrate support for Hong Kong’s autonomy and civil society”.
“This will include measures at European Union level and also measures that fall under the competence of the Member States, in a coordinated approach. Everything will be done in coordination and the totality of measures will constitute a broad response from the European Union ”, he stressed, adding that some countries may already announce national measures in the coming days.
Borrell assured that all 27 countries have “serious questions” to ask about the new standard’s compliance with China’s international commitments, stressing that the law will “clearly have an impact” on relations between Beijing and Brussels.
Among the recommended measures is the strengthening of the export control of “specific and sensitive” technologies to Hong Kong, after the entry into force of the new Chinese law, which provides for life sentences for cases of “secession” or “subversion against state power” ”.
“We are looking at the possibilities of further scrutinizing exports of specific and sensitive technologies to Hong Kong,” he stressed.
European ministers also analyzed the “implications” of the security law for member states’ extradition agreements with Hong Kong and for travel recommendations and the possibility of increasing scholarships for students from the former British colony.
“At the level of the European Union, we have also been talking about the implications for asylum and immigration of national security law, as well as visas for Hong Kong citizens. Although visas are the competence of member states, the matter has been widely discussed, ”he added.
For his part, Heiko Maas, the head of diplomacy in Germany, the country that will hold the rotating EU presidency this month, highlighted the common position of the 27, stressing that the measures will have to be adapted to those currently underway with mainland China .
“We consider it logical to treat Hong Kong in the same way as Mainland China,” said Maas, stressing that “everything is prepared to pass from words to actions”.
The national security law imposed on Hong Kong by the Beijing Communist regime aims to suppress subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
