OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Thursday it would make it easier for Hong Kong youth to study and work in Canada in response to new security rules imposed by China on the former British colony, a move likely to heighten already strained relations with Beijing. “Today’s announcement is set against the backdrop of a number of developments which have been gravely concerning to Canada,” Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told Reuters in an interview, citing this week’s move by China to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong. Any Hong Kong resident who has graduated from university in the past three years can apply to work for up to three years in Canada, and will be offered a way to transition more easily to permanent residency, the minister said. Canada will also accelerate the processes for “their spouses, their partners and their children to come and build the next chapter in their life”, Mendicino said.