Visitors from Hong Kong can have refuge in US for 18 months, says Biden

Police officers stand guard outside a court in Hong Kong (Vincent Yu/AP)

President Joe Biden has granted temporary refuge to people from Hong Kong amid the Chinese government’s effort to crush the pro-democracy movement and tighten its control on the city.

Mr Biden signed a memorandum allowing people from Hong Kong currently residing in the United States to live and work in the country for 18 months, a move likely to further inflame the tense relations between Washington and Beijing.