The Chinese embassy in the UK criticized London’s decision to expand the immigration pathway for Hongkongers holding British National (Overseas) passports. This move came shortly after Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, a former media boss, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The embassy called the expansion a “malicious” attempt to manipulate the issue. An embassy spokesman said, “The UK’s previous actions of this nature have already caused some misled Hong Kong residents to leave their homes, only to face discrimination and financial hardship upon arriving in the UK, effectively becoming ‘second-class citizens’.” The spokesman added, “The current move to further manipulate the BN(O) issue is a contemptible tactic with malicious intent.” The Chinese embassy warned the UK to stop its “political manipulation” or risk “humiliating itself and reaping the bitter fruits of its own actions.” The UK Home Office announced that adult children of BN(O) passport holders, who were under 18 at the time of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover, could now apply independently to move to Britain. This means people born between 1979 and 1997 whose parents did not apply for BN(O) before the handover may now be eligible. Since the BN(O) route began, more than 230,000 people have been granted visas, with nearly 170,000 already moved to the UK. Western nations including the US, UK, Australia, and the EU criticized the harsh sentence on Jimmy Lai. Canada also demanded his immediate release, with Foreign Minister Anita Anand saying, “Mr Lai is 78 years old and in poor health and we call for his immediate humanitarian release. Canada will continue to support free and independent media worldwide.” The Chinese embassy in Canada rejected these demands as “erroneous,” stating there was “every reason” to bring Lai to justice.