![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/zafrada/IT65J6VY-image.png)

Boris Johnson's UK government is far from wonderful. Just take a look at the last few weeks with the Dominic Cummings incident, and prior to that, the Neil Ferguson incident. But perhaps the most obvious and utmost failure, is the complete back and forth decision making leading up to the shelter-in-place orders which has now held the entire country in hostage for the best of 2 months now. Despite the lockdown, the UK is by far the worst hit country in Europe, and this is despite being an island country!

However, comparing to the US, Johnson's government suddenly seems considerably better (or less bad) - particularly when it comes to the sorts of issues regarding victims of repression, many of whom are far more at risk than Hong Kongers. Taking steps to offer the people of HK some political asylum is a welcome step, but the western nations really should be offering asylum to mainland Chinese victims of repression as well. Many of these would be migrants are highly productive as well as entrepreneurial, but importantly, gives the rest of the world a badly needed boost in the ideological competition with the Chinese government. Sadly - but unsurprisingly - most of our newfound China hawks seem uninterested.

**To recap the situation with HK:**

Before the handover of HK back to China, a joint declaration was signed which resulted in an international treaty where rights including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and non-interference by Beijing's CCP on security and law making in HK would stand until 2047. 

With the security law being introduced, that declaration and thus commitment for 50 years has failed. The mainland national security law will now extend to Hong Kong, and these laws go so far that espousing anything democratic would constitute a violation of this law and thus a crime. 

The UK has a moral and legal obligation under the Sino-British Join Declaration to uphold the rights of their citizens until 2047. With that in mind, offering the people of HK the right to residency in the UK is not only offering the opportunity for democracy, free speech and enterprise that China is so keen to take away, but it is also offering them a chance to flee from the authoritarianism that is growing ever more pervasive in their region.