China on Tuesday suspended Hong Kong’s extradition treaties with Canada, Australia and Britain in response to the similar decision made by those countries.
the three countries had announced the suspension of extradition treaties with Hong Kong this month after China introduced a new controversial security law.
“The wrong action of Canada, Australia and the UK in politicising judicial cooperation with Hong Kong has seriously hurt the judicial cooperation,” Hong Kong Free Press quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying.
“China has decided to suspend extradition treaties between Hong Kong and Canda, Australia and the UK, as well as criminal justice cooperation agreement.”he added.
Taking China’s newly enacted national security law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as an excuse, Canada, Australia and the UK unilaterally announced the suspension of their extradition treaties signed with Hong Kong, which has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations,” Mr Wang said.
Western nation are angry over China’s implementation of new security law in Hong Kong’s security law that criminalizes many forms of political dissent.
Canada, Australia and Britain are part of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance including New Zealand and the United States. While New Zealand has suspended the treaty with Hong Kong on Tuesday, the US has signalled that it is preparing to do the same.
Britain suspended its extradition treaty last week, saying the security law had “significantly changed key assumptions” fearing the new law gives China sweeping powers which can be a threat to basic freedom of former British colony.
Meanwhile, China has defended the security law as crucial to restoring order in Hong Kong following severity of he pre-democracy protests back since last year.
