The European Parliament freezes China investment pact by majority

The EU–China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) has been under negotiation since 2014. It is generally considered to be of great significance to China’s diplomacy and trade. The European Parliament voted to freeze the ratification at around 2 p.m. local time today (20May), it was passed with 599 votes in favour, 30 votes against, and 58 abstentions. According to the latest decision, European Parliament will halt the ratification and no further negotiations on the agreement will take place until China lifts sanctions on EU officials, academics, and diplomats in March.

According to reports in foreign media, chair of the European Parliament's China Delegation Reinhard Bütikofer
said that China wants to reach the agreement, but has miscalculated, and underestimated European Parliament's will in defending European interests and values.

Source: Stand News #May20

https://bit.ly/3vsqGNx

#Europe #EU #China #Parliament #Investment #Agreement

#HKProtest #Exile
2 Years After PolyU Siege, 19-year-old HongKongers in Exile: "I Earnestly Want to Return to Hong Kong"

Read Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31791

Read Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31807

Continue with Part 3:
People inside the city want to escape; people outside want to return

#HongKongWatch, a UK #HumanRights organisation, estimates that there are 120 political asylum seekers from HK at the moment and 200 to 300 HKers with a temporary or expired tourist visa in the UK.

Some UK #MPs suggested amending BNO application terms and conditions that a Hker could have the right to stay in the UK if one of the parents qualified for a #BNOvisa, including HK young people born after 1997.

The amendment bill is an aid for people like Ivan, whose parents do not want to leave for the UK and need to be political asylums.

The total amount of these people are estimated to be 100 thousand, expanding HKer groups in the UK. However, the #parliament rejects the decision after a 2-days discussion on Dec 8 due to the scale of expansion.

While people in the city try to get out very hard, people outside the city earnestly want to get back. Ivan hopes to see HKers can have shumai (a traditional Cantonese dim sum) at home together.

"I really want to return to Hong Kong"

Ivan sees Hong Kong as his home even though he is in the UK now. When he saw people giving applause welcoming the soldiers on Remembrance Day, he wished to have another Liberation Day for Hong Kong, the day when he could go back to Hong Kong.

He expressed, "I would like to say to everyone one day: let's return to HK. An ethnic group has nothing wrong to go back to their origin. Hong Kong was colonised by the UK and is colonised by the #CCP. I feel very unwilling as HKers have fought for a long term but can't make any decision for themselves. If Hong Kong is liberated one day, do still I have a chance to travel, or am I "lying in a box covered by a blanket"?"

No one can predict when it will be, but Ivan will continue to embrace this hope to survive in a foreign country.

#LOTR

Source: RFA #Nov17
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/hk-polyu-11172021060537.html