Many of you recognize me primarily as an attorney; however, since my arrival in the UK, my focus has broadened beyond my legal practice to include the intricacies of the lived experiences of Hong Kong expatriates here. Ultimately, the BNO visa is fundamentally a humanitarian concession. I comprehend that upon arrival, many individuals tend to perceive that “the moon is perpetually more resplendent abroad,” nurturing elevated expectations that inevitably culminate in disillusionment.

My apprehension for Hong Kongers residing in the UK was initially provoked by one of my aides. Having pursued her education in the UK since her formative years, she unveiled to me the viewpoints of entrenched overseas Chinese and “British Born Chinese” (BBCs). I have discerned a considerable generational chasm between BNO immigrants and these more established communities.

Moreover, my preliminary encounters in UK court rooms starkly contrasted with my experiences in Hong Kong. I would not ascribe this disparity to discrimination but rather to a divergence in cultural paradigms. A King’s Counsel candidly conveyed, “In the UK, class is paramount, and your accent delineates your class status.” This assertion bears no correlation to colour, and I have personally perceived this in numerous instances. His sagacity has profoundly influenced me: “We don’t dislike you [Hong Kongers]; you’re hardworking and don’t cause trouble. Even if you do, it’s amongst yourselves.” (“We harbor no animosity towards you [Hong Kongers]; you are industrious and avoid causing upheaval. Even when you do, it is typically amongst your own.”)

Had the occurrences of June 14th not incited such tumult, I doubt I would have endeavored to compose this article.

The exhibition and seminar on June 14th were graciously underwritten by my esteemed law firm’s partner. At the time, I was peregrinating through various cities across the UK, conducting settlement and naturalization seminars, and promoting my initiative, “Descendants of Victoria City,” which aspires to facilitate Hong Kongers’ assimilation into British society. The venue in London had already been secured, albeit the dates were misaligned. Consequently, I reached out to another London entity to explore potential collaboration, yet to my astonishment, upon learning that I did not seek government funding, they insisted on an audit of my funding sources prior to entertaining any collaboration (it seems that for certain individuals, even the expenditure for an event costing several hundred pounds necessitates the use of “red” funds). In this predicament, my partner procured a venue for me at King’s Cross Methodist Church, ensuring that my team and I could host the event in London. Given the absence of any other Hong Kong organizations co-organizing with us on June 14, we expressed our trepidation to Mr. Anthony Bux and Mr. Daniel Kwok regarding our capacity to manage the event. Fortunately, they, along with the members of Hong Kong Professionals CIC, conveyed their readiness to partake, which greatly contributed to the seamless execution of the seminar and exhibition. Mr. Anthony Bux and Mr. Daniel Kwok have consistently demonstrated a profound concern for refugee issues, and my team and I possess substantial expertise in human rights law; thus, we decided to concentrate on human rights and Hong Kong’s historical context for this exhibition on June 20, coinciding with World Refugee Day.

I am also apprehensive regarding the matter of BNO equal rights. The recent White Paper has engendered heightened scrutiny of my advocacy for equal rights. During this interval, numerous British entrepreneurs have articulated their anxieties to me concerning BNO immigrants, prompting me to propose a quintet of initiatives aimed at ensuring equal rights, as opposed to directly pursuing British citizenship.

Since February 2023, I have engaged in regular dialogue with business individuals from diverse sectors across the UK and I am of the view that the “10+1” policy may bear implications for BNO visa holders. I broached the subject of the equal rights initiative with various Hong Kong organizations; however, many individuals contended that the existing BNO visa was already sufficiently comprehensive within the immigration framework and would only be liberalized, not constricted. Some asserted that if the BNO were accorded equal rights, it could jeopardize Hong Kong residents’ capacity to reclaim their mandatory provident fund. It was not until the advent of the White Paper that many Hong Kong organizations began to express trepidation regarding the ramifications of the “5+1” pathway. Nevertheless, from their perspective, my initiative did not appear sufficiently assertive, resulting in only The HK Scots and myself exhibiting concern over equal rights issues.

During this interval, an individual (distinct from those referenced in this article) conveyed to me that all matters should be resolved by “the paramount platform.” My endeavors, which included delivering a seminar in the heart of London—an epicenter that “the paramount platform” deemed as its dominion—were perceived as an affront to the paramount platform.

I am not an incumbent politician, and everyone has migrated to the UK from Hong Kong, thus even if we do not align ourselves politically, we ought not to regard one another as adversaries. At that juncture, I was skeptical of the concept of a “paramount platform.”

On May 19, I became aware of a demonstration scheduled for the same day as June 14, yet it did not capture my attention significantly. It was only on May 23 that an individual lodged a complaint with the CIC regulator, asserting that the Hong Kong Professionals CIC’s equal rights initiative was intertwined with political endeavors. On May 25, I was apprised that an individual would intimidate me using the National Security Law.

Subsequent to that, the entirety of the occurrence has been widely disseminated. I found myself maligned within several public forums, accused of willfully scheduling the seminar on the same day as the march, ostensibly to create a schism among the marchers. Furthermore, it was asserted that, despite our decision to solidify June 14, there remained the possibility to permit the march to proceed unimpeded, thereby canceling our own event.

Simultaneously, I faced allegations of leveraging the exhibition and my seminar by exploiting medical professionals, merely for expressing my readiness to provide pro bono legal service to said paramedics.

The purpose of this article is not to seek clarification, but rather to articulate my conviction that the spheres of politics and economics are irrevocably intertwined. The reputation of Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom is unequivocally jeopardized. Throughout my tenure in the UK, I have frequently encountered Hong Kongers proclaiming their potential to supersede their British counterparts, insinuating that the latter possess inferior capabilities. Numerous Hong Kongers assert that their qualifications and experience are undoubtedly sufficient to secure professional opportunities within the UK.

Nevertheless, this perception is not universally shared among the local British populace. Foremost, there exists the dilemma of the dichotomy between long-term overseas Chinese and BNO visa holders. Numerous residents of Hong Kong harbor the belief that long-term overseas Chinese are prejudiced and lack comprehension of the prevailing circumstances in Hong Kong. However, long-term overseas Chinese have resided in the UK for an extensive duration. Placing oneself in their position, one might ponder: consider a recent immigrant who relocated to Hong Kong from Fujian at the tender age of ten; would they maintain an understanding of developments in Fujian by the time they reach forty? In simpler terms, how many Hong Kongers who have spent three years in the UK remain attuned to the happenings in Hong Kong? How many individuals from Hong Kong will continue to maintain an interest in their homeland in ten or twenty years?  Many long-term overseas Chinese were initially hopeful regarding the influx of Hong Kongers, yet as time has elapsed, their perceptions of the latter have begun to transform. A considerable number of Hong Kongers, after four years of residence in the UK, contend that they possess a more profound understanding of the UK than the long-term overseas Chinese and frequently endeavor to exhibit their acumen regarding culture and legal matters.

For other locals, Hong Kongers are perceived as excessively insular, prioritizing their own enclaves. Many individuals are merely transitory and have yet to immerse themselves in the intricacies of British culture. Immigrants from diverse origins have also remarked: “We converse in English upon our arrival in the UK. Why do you not endeavor more earnestly to utilize the English language?” Based on my own experiences, following an unwarranted assault, I feel compelled to exhort Hong Kongers residing in the UK to seek integration into British society rather than fixate solely on commercial promotions. Regarding whether anyone aspires to establish a “grand platform”, that pertains to their convictions (or professional aspirations), which bears no relevance to my pursuits. My focus is unequivocally on engaging in endeavors I deem significant. Instead of entangling ourselves in internecine conflicts, we ought to sincerely integrate into this realm and conduct our affairs with pragmatism. The world is far more expansive than we can fathom. The perspectives of the British and Americans transcend the confines of the UK. We must not merely strive for personal stability but also maintain a vigilant outlook toward global dynamics, remaining attuned to the ever-evolving international landscape. Only by adopting this approach can we firmly establish our presence in a foreign terrain and cultivate our own niche in the world.