President Joe Biden extended a program that allows some Hong Kong residents to remain in the US rather than be deported to the Chinese territory, citing repression by Beijing.
(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden extended a program that allows some Hong Kong residents to remain in the US rather than be deported to the Chinese territory, citing repression by Beijing.
“With this action, we are demonstrating again President Biden’s strong support for the people of Hong Kong in the face of increasing repression by the PRC,” Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said Thursday, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
“We continue to strongly oppose the PRC’s use of its National Security Law to deny the people of Hong Kong their human rights and fundamental freedoms, undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy, and chip away at Hong Kong’s remaining democratic processes and institutions,” Watson said.
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 that spurred widespread protests.
China “has continued its assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions,” a White House memo states. The memo says at least 150 opposition politicians, activists, and protesters have been taken into custody on politically motivated charges since June 2020, bringing the total number of political prisoners to more than 1,200.
Biden’s order extends the program, which the president first authorized in 2021, for two more years. The program was set to expire Feb. 5.
Eligible Hong Kong residents will be granted a work permit for 18 months and a reprieve from deportation.
Officials at the Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
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