Link: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3120585/hong-kong-banks-told-stop-accepting-bno-passports-while
The Hong Kong association of Banks has instructed members to stop recognizing British National (Overseas) passports as valid identification for opening or renewing accounts. The city’s correctional services authority has also started requiring inmates with dual nationality to choose a single one. Hong Kongers eligible for BN(O) status because of the city’s government that’s embroiled with British over London’s creation of a new pathway to citizenship is now not being allowed to use for travel. The US has raised the question of whether or not prisoners would be forced to choose a single nationality under threat by the police or government. Arthur Yen Kwok, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has stated that since the BN(O) is no longer a valid travel document for proof of identity in Hong Kong, it is reasonable for banks not to accept the document to open new bank accounts. He stated that people will need to use another ID document for the future.
By Hong Kong forcing people with dual nationality to choose only one to further be able to open or renew a bank account has stumped multiple people. It is a stumble change but slowly China is changing the rules and policies in small areas of Hong Kong to show their influence. Since Hong Kong is still apart of Britain, their authority to use a BN(O) passport should be valid up until now.
When you tie this back to class, it weirdly enough reminds me of the rimland theory. China is pushing into Hong Kong but they don’t have the strength to fight back because they know that soon enough they will have to submit to China and their regime. The United Kingdom has not tried to stop China from pushing into Hong Kong way earlier than they are allowed so China just continues to do its thing, changing the laws and polices of the democratic Hong Kong.