China threatens to hold Hong Kongers prisoner by stopping them from leaving Hong Kong if they seek to move to Britain.

In the 1980s and before, Communist countries typically made citizens get permission to leave the country. Perhaps that is officially still the case in China, but in practice Chinese have been allowed to travel as tourists if they could afford to do so.

By making this threat, China is hoping to use its own citizens as hostages to demand acquiescence in its campaign to spread tyranny. It is betting that it is so powerful now, and the US so weak and dizzy, that it can make all opposition cave and start a march to world hegemony.

I don't think China will win this bet. Instead, I think it will backfire, as the world perceives ever more clearly how evil China now is. The power that the conman wishes to have, Xi already has.