China "Hong Kong Suspends Criminal Justice Cooperation Treaties with Canada, Australia, and the UK"

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] On the 28th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Hong Kong will temporarily suspend its criminal judicial cooperation treaties with Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing that "the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has decided to suspend the surrender of fugitive offenders treaties with Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and at the same time, temporarily suspend criminal judicial cooperation treaties with these countries."

This is interpreted as a retaliatory measure following the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada successively suspending or abolishing their fugitive offender treaties with Hong Kong, citing the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law).

Spokesperson Wang emphasized that these countries unilaterally suspended the fugitive offender treaties with Hong Kong under the pretext of the Hong Kong Security Law, violently interfering in China's internal affairs and seriously violating international law, and that "China firmly opposes this."

China also hinted at diplomatic retaliation against New Zealand. Earlier, Winston Peters, New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement on the same day announcing the suspension of the fugitive offender treaty with Hong Kong, saying, "We can no longer trust that Hong Kong's judicial system is sufficiently independent from China."

Regarding New Zealand's action, spokesperson Wang said, "China reserves the right to take further responses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.