The Guardian recently revealed that the British government banned a wealthy Chinese couple from entering the UK last in 2022 because the two had donated money to British politicians on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which was not conducive to the public interest of the UK. The details of the incident came to light when the couple applied to the UK’s Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) to extend their appeal period, which was eventually approved.
The Guardian reported on the incident on Tuesday, June 20. After an extensive investigation by other media, it was found that the couple involved were 62 and 60 years old, both born in Guangdong and moved to Hong Kong in 2000. The husband runs a real estate agency in Guangdong and Yunnan. His wife successfully applied for investment immigration to the UK in 2012 and was granted indefinite leave-to-stay status in 2017. The two frequently travel to and from the UK and own properties there.
The SIAC ruling document on the couple’s application for an extension of the appeal period showed that the British Home Office wrote to them in March last year, saying that the then British Home Secretary Priti Patel had personally issued an order banning them from entering the UK because they had provided donations to British politicians on behalf of the CCP. Allowing them to remain in the UK would be detrimental to the UK’s interest. However, the court documents did not provide details about their involvement in British politics or which politicians received the donations.
The couple has not been in the UK in recent years, and the letter sent by the UK authorities to their Hong Kong residence last year indicates that the deadline for appeal was in May. Still, they cited various reasons for not receiving the letter and missed the deadline for appeal. They then applied to the SIAC, which deals with cases of people deported or banned from the UK on national security grounds, to extend the appeal deadline. This was eventually granted, and the SIAC tribunal did not allow their names to be published.
The incident has aroused concerns that the Hong Kong people who emigrated due to participation in civil protests may be suspected of being Chinese agents in the future.
In an interview with the media, Hong Kong current affairs commentator and chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Taiwan, Sang Pu, who has emigrated to Taiwan, said that the Chinese Communist Party uses Hong Kong to do “white glove” work because of its low cost, so it often intervenes in the politics of other countries through Hong Kong-based companies or people who have obtained permanent resident status in Hong Kong. He added that the Chinese Communist Party intends to use this means to reinforce the impression to the outside world that “Hong Kong is part of China.”
Sang Pu admits that these methods have caused misunderstanding and distress to many overseas Hongkongers, and their words and deeds will be carefully scrutinized by the local government. However, he believes that on a personal level, overseas Hongkongers should try their best to show the local people their persistence and hope for freedom and democracy through actions and daily lives, including integrating and connecting into the local community and establishing mutual support for ethnic groups oppressed by the CCP.
