China has imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong.
BEIJING: China said on Monday (Aug 3) it will suspend its extradition agreement with New Zealand in response to Wellington suspending its existing extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced the decision at a daily briefing.
New Zealand last week suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and made a number of other changes following China’s passage of a national security law for the city.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said then that New Zealand would treat military and dual-use goods and technology exports to Hong Kong in the same way as it treats such exports to China, as part of a review of its overall relationship with Hong Kong.
Travel advice for New Zealanders in Hong Kong was also updated to say that the security law had led to an increased risk of arrest for activities such as protests, with the possibility of being removed to mainland China to face maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
“China’s passage of its new national security legislation has eroded rule-of-law principles, undermined the ‘one country, two systems’ framework that underpins Hong Kong’s unique status, and gone against commitments China made to the international community,” Peters said last week.
Apart from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK also suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong last month. US President Donald Trump has ended preferential economic treatment for Hong Kong.
China had on Jul 28 announced that Hong Kong’s government would suspend agreements on mutual assistance for criminal matters, including extradition, with Australia, Canada and the UK.
Wang said last week that the three countries’ decisions to suspend extradition agreements with Hong Kong over the national security law constituted gross interference in China’s internal affairs.
Beijing passed the national security law for Hong Kong on Jun 30, granting Beijing jurisdiction in some national security cases and allowing mainland security agents to set up shop openly in the city for the first time.
