Several hours after U.S. president Joe Biden announced that his country would provide temporary "safe haven" to Hong Kong citizens, China blasted the U.S. for "destabilising" Hong Kong, Chinese state-run media CGTN reported, according to South China Morning Post.

In the wee hours of Aug. 6, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's office in Hong Kong posted a statement on their Facebook page, saying the efforts by the U.S. to destabilise Hong Kong are "doomed for failure" and that the U.S. should give up on the idea.

A day earlier on Aug. 5, the Biden administration offered Hong Kong citizens in the U.S. up to 18 months of stay, and condemned China for cracking down on Hong Kong's democracy, reported Reuters.

The move is believed to allow thousands of Hong Kong citizens in the U.S. to extend their stay.

China angered by U.S. "safe haven"

The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also issued a strongly-worded statement in response.

It mentioned that the U.S. is smearing the National Security Law in Hong Kong, and that the "outrageous intervention in China's internal affairs is a blatant disregard to international laws and norms".

The spokesperson highlighted that Hong Kong belongs to China, and the U.S. will not succeed in "destabilising" the autonomous city.

The spokesperson also said that Beijing was determined to oppose foreign interference, safeguard national security, and implement Hong Kong’s governing “one country, two systems” principle.

Activist "grateful" with the news

Samuel Chu, managing director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, which campaigned for the move, took to Twitter to welcome Biden’s move.

He tweeted: "We are deeply grateful for this action from the Administration to protect Hong Kongers in the U.S.".

Speaking to the BBC, Chu estimated that the the offer by the U.S. could affect some 100,000 people.

He believes that there's "a pretty good chance that a pretty large number of visitors would benefit from this".

“To those Hongkongers who have been living in limbo with the uncertainty that they might be forced to leave the U.S. to return to Hong Kong to face certain arrests and prosecutions: you are safe, and the U.S. will not abandon you,” he said in a statement.

How does the "safe haven" work?

Biden has reportedly directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a "deferral of removal" for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents in the U.S. due to "compelling foreign policy reasons", as per Reuters.

According to a senior official, the majority of Hong Kong residents in the U.S. are expected to be eligible, although it remains uncertain how many people it would cover.

Eligible persons may also seek authorisation for employment in the U.S., according to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

Referring to the measure, the White House said the U.S. "will not stand idly by as the PRC (China) breaks its promises to Hong Kong and to the international community".

Britain's foreign minister, Dominic Raab, wrote on Twitter that he welcomed the "big-hearted decision."

I warmly welcome the US’s big-hearted decision to announce a migration offer for Hong Kongers.

The UK is standing up for the people of Hong Kong, including by offering British Nationals (Overseas) in Hong Kong a path to citizenship. https://t.co/2ILgAF4GMP

— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) August 5, 2021

Those who have serious criminal convictions will reportedly not be eligible to stay, according to the BBC.

More beef between U.S. and China

This offer to take in Hongkongers comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi just blasted the the U.S. for its stance on Hong Kong and Xinjiang during the East Asia Summit on August 4.

In July, the U.S. government also applied sanctions to Chinese officials it believes had "systematically undermined" Hong Kong's democracy, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, China retaliated with its own sanctions on U.S. officials, which included former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

Top image via GovHK & Joshua Roberts/Getty Images