Four SAR activists gain asylum in Germany

Four Hongkongers have so far been granted asylum in Germany as the European Union mulls sanctions for Hong Kong, a German congressional hearing was told.

Petra Sigmund, director general for Asia and the Pacific at the German Foreign Office, said Berlin addresses violations of human rights in Hong Kong "very clearly" when in talks with Beijing's representative.

But Sigmund said the EU's confidence in China's willingness to meet its international obligations was impaired by actions taken against Hong Kong protesters through the national security law.

She was speaking at a German parliamentary meeting, which heard a petition on sanctioning China and Hong Kong individuals and adopting countermeasures in response to the security law.

A digital rights activist from Hong Kong, Glacier Kwong Chung-ching, one of two who filed the petition, urged Germany to consider allowing Hongkongers to enter and reside in the country without a visa before securing residence permits. Kwong also pushed to extend the job-seeker's visa for graduates from six to 24 months.

"More and more people choose to seek asylum overseas," Kwong said. "The current arrangement requires applicants to be physically in Germany. But the pandemic makes it difficult to secure visas."

In response, Sigmund said Germany has suspended the extradition agreement with Hong Kong and checked more closely on dual-use goods before exporting them to the SAR to determine whether they could lead to human rights violations.

Sigmund said the EU is observing the situation in Hong Kong and will consider the use of the Magnitsky Act, which allows for sanctions to be imposed against individuals and organizations responsible for human rights abuses anywhere in the world.

She revealed that four Hongkongers have been granted political asylum in Germany so far but did not name them.

Separately, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor called on US President Joe Biden's administration to view the national security law fairly. Lam added that she - along with 11 officials who have been sanctioned - will not be intimidated.

Lam said in a video speech for a forum that US-China relations have sharply deteriorated over the past 18 months, which she described as "lamentable as it is harmful."

Lam added that the unilateral action taken by former president Donald Trump against Hong Kong, including the sanctions, was "outright resentful." She said she hopes ties will improve under Biden's presidency and added his inauguration address seemed to echo President Xi Jinping's sentiments on the importance of international cooperation.

Tung Chee-hwa, head of the China-United States Exchange Foundation, said at the same forum that the United States emanated anxiety, resentment and rejection due to a lack of understanding of China. He said both countries should work together.

maisy.mok@singtaonewscorp.com