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world news Diasabra 30 Januari 2021

China derecognizes British National Overseas passport

(AP) — China said Friday it will
no longer recognize the British “This move seriously infringes on
National Overseas passport as a China’s sovereignty, grossly interferes
valid travel document or form of in Hong Kong affairs and China’s in-
identification amid a bitter feud ternal affairs, and seriously violates
with London over a plan to allow international law and the basic norms
millions of Hong Kong residents of international relations,” he said.
a route to residency and eventual “China will no longer recognize the
citizenship. so-called BNO passport as a travel
document and proof of identity start-
The announcement by Foreign Min- ing from Jan 31st, and reserves the
istry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on right to take further measures.”
Friday throws up new uncertainty
around the plan just hours after the Many Hong Kongers carry multiple
U.K. said it would begin taking appli- passports and it is unclear what if
cations for what are called BNO visas anything the Chinese government
beginning late Sunday. could do to prevent people entering
the U.K. through the BNO visa plan.
Under the plan, as many as 5.4 mil- As a further protection of personal
lion Hong Kong residents could be privacy, a cellphone app will allow ap-
eligible to live and work in the U.K. plicants to download their biometric
for five years then apply for citizen- information without having to been
ship. Demand soared after Beijing seen visiting the British visa office. cracked down on civil and politi- “I am immensely proud that we have
last year imposed a sweeping new cal life in Hong Kong in what critics brought in this new route for Hong
national security law on the former The BNO passport was originally a say violates China’s commitment to Kong BNOs to live, work and make
British colony following months of disappointment for Hong Kongers maintain the city’s separate way of their home in our country,” British
pro-democracy protests. when it was first offered ahead of life for 50 years after the handover. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in
Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese China first declared the 1984 Sino- a statement.
“The British side’s attempt to turn a rule in 1997. At the time, it offered British Declaration setting out the
large number of Hong Kong people only the right to visit for six months handover arrangements null and void “In doing so we have honored our
into second-class British citizens has with no right to work or become a despite its recognition by the United profound ties of history and friend-
completely changed the nature of the full citizen. Applicants had to have Nations, then imposed the national ship with the people of Hong Kong,
two sides’ original understanding of been born before the handover date. security law on the territory after the and we have stood up for freedom
BNO,” Zhao told reporters at a daily However, pressure grew to expand city’s legislature was unable to pass it and autonomy – values both the UK
briefing. such privileges as China increasingly on its own. and Hong Kong hold dear.”

German unemployment steady, but virus having effect on jobs

(AP) — Germany's job January remained unchanged tion in January,” said Federal recovery process slowed as
market performed un- at 6% when adjusted for sea- In unadjusted terms, the Labor Agency head Detlef new lockdown measures
expectedly well in Janu- sonal factors, with 41,000 headline figure in Germany, Scheele. “But the measures were imposed, the Federal
ary, according to statistics fewer people out of work, ac- the January unemployment meant to contain the corona- Statistical Office said Friday.
released Friday, though cording to the Federal Labor rate rose to 6.3% from 5.9% virus are leaving their mark.”
lockdown measures Agency. in December, with some German gross domestic
meant to slow the spread 193,000 more people regis- Like many countries, Germa- product grew 0.1% over the
of the coronavirus contin- Economists had been pre- tered as jobless for a total of ny has implemented wide- previous quarter when ad-
ue to leave their mark on dicting a slight uptick in some 2.9 million out of work. spread restrictions meant to justed for price, seasonal and
Europe's largest economy. number of unemployed and slow the spread of the coro- calendar factors the Wies-
a rise in the adjusted rate to “All in all, the labor market navirus, including shutting baden-based agency said.
The unemployment rate in 6.1%. remained in robust condi- restaurants for all but takeout The office had already re-
and delivery, bars, and leisure ported earlier in January that
and sports facilities. the economy was expected
to have “roughly stagnated”
Rises in unemployment in during the fourth quarter
Germany, which has Eu- when it reported that for the
rope’s biggest economy, and year, GDP shrank by 5%.
elsewhere on the continent
have been moderate by in- The office said new lock-
ternational standards. That is down measures implement-
because employers are mak- ed in early November had
ing heavy use of salary sup- taken their toll on household
port programs, often referred consumption in particular
to as furlough schemes, during the fourth quarter.
which allow them to keep
employees on the payroll “After the historic 9.7%
while they await better times. slump of the gross domes-
tic product in the second
In Germany, the labor agency quarter of 2020, the German
pays at least 60% of the sal- economy was recovering in
ary of employees who are on the summer of the year,” the
reduced or zero hours. agency said. “In the fourth
quarter, however, the recov-
Separate data showed that ery process slowed due to the
Germany’s economy grew second coronavirus wave and
only slightly in the fourth another lockdown imposed
quarter of 2020, though the at the end of the year.”