What was the UK quietly weighing during the 2019 Hong Kong protests? Former British Consul-General to Hong Kong, Andrew Heyn, offers a rare and candid account of internal discussions within the British government as tensions escalated – including a moment when a mass evacuation was considered amid PLA troop build-up near the border.

He also reveals how the BN(O) visa pathway was developed as the UK’s most significant response to the National Security Law, and reflects on the limits of diplomacy during one of Hong Kong’s most turbulent chapters.

Key moments in this interview:

– The UK’s brief consideration of mass evacuation during PLA military build-up

– How the BN(O) scheme was designed and pushed through despite political sensitivity

– Emergency meetings chaired by Dominic Raab, with Priti Patel’s backing the BN(O) route

– A brief encounter with Jimmy Lai, later cited in a national security case

– Simon Cheng’s disappearance and detention, and the UK’s struggle to locate him

– The breakdown of contact with Hong Kong authorities post-NSL

– Leaving Hong Kong in 2020 with official farewells missing