No government/management conspiracy here. Just good old fashioned incompetence by individuals well out of their depth. Have a look at the list of changing stories and arguments.
* Management arguing that work visa holder renewals for foreigners are necessary for the future of the company.
* Immigration Department initially disagreeing then ultimately agreeing with this argument.
* Management arguing that due to reduced workload there is no necessity for Hong Kong citizens and permanent residents to remain in the company beyond an arbitrary age.
* Forcefully “retired” Hong Kong citizens informing the immigration department of their availability to the Hong Kong aviation community.
* Management hiring pilots they don’t require to satisfy an Immigration Department requirement.
* Immigration department not seeing a reduction in locals who are qualified to perform the work due to management setting up
a revolving door by putting local pilots involuntarily back into the community.
* Management arguing that previously based crew should be issued with work visas as a necessity for the future of the company.
* Immigration Department rejecting that argument despite a work visa renewal having to meet the same criteria as a work visa initial issue. (Somehow the ID argue that a P1 rated captain can be readily replaced within the Hong Kong community but a P2X rated SO can’t be).
If anyone can see a conspiracy here by PEK/HK/CX/Swire then you’ve more imagination than me. I just see a continuation of decades of incompetence supported by differing stories depending on who’s arguing what to whom.