Australia Suspends Extradition Agreement With Hong Kong

He also stated that approximately 10,000 Hong Kong residents in Australia with student or temporary visas would be able to extend them by five years, with a means of staying permanently at the end of that period. «We will continue to monitor the impact of the law on the people of Hong Kong, with whom we have close ties,» he said. Other Western governments have taken similar steps in response to Beijing`s initiative to place Hong Kong under its autocratic regime. Canada suspended its extradition treaty with its territory, while Britain offered the stay to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British citizenship under the 1997 agreement. «With every extradition agreement, there must be trust between the two legal systems,» Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a press conference in Canberra, the capital, as ABC News reported. SYDNEY – Australia is suspending its extradition contract with Hong Kong and giving the city`s residents a way to stay sustainable in response to China`s decision to introduce new national security laws, which should fuel tensions with Beijing. After months of mass protests, which have sometimes led to violent clashes between police and supporters of democracy, Hong Kong`s new security law punishes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, up to life in prison. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that the National Security Act was «a fundamental change in the circumstances of our extradition agreement with Hong Kong» and that Australia had formally communicated the decision to Hong Kong and the Chinese authorities. Morrison said Australia had formally informed Hong Kong and informed The Chinese authorities. His announcement — which quickly received a strong rebuke from the Beijing Embassy in Canberra — came after Canada last week suspended its extradition agreement with the former British colony, making it the first country to sever ties between law enforcement and the city since China passed the law. New Zealand also announced on Thursday that it would review all of its «political attitudes regarding Hong Kong,» including extradition agreements, trade and travel.

New Zealand also said it was reviewing its relations with Hong Kong under the new security law, meaning Hong Kong suspects can be brought to justice in Chinese courts controlled by the Communist Party. Canada announced last week that it was suspending its extradition agreement with Hong Kong as part of the legislation and would encourage immigration from the former British colony. Morrison said his government and others had «very consistently expressed our concern about the imposition of the National Security Act in Hong Kong.» According to ABC News, students and people with temporary work visas can apply for an extension and also have the option of seeking a permanent stay. Australia`s opposition to the National Security Act has exacerbated current tensions with China, the country`s largest trading partner. New Zealand stated that its review of relations with Hong Kong would involve a review of extradition regimes, control of exports of strategic goods and travel instructions. «New Zealand remains deeply concerned about the introduction of this legislation for Hong Kong. We will continue to observe the impact of the law on the people of Hong Kong, with whom we have a close relationship,» said Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Other Western governments have taken similar steps in response to the National Security Act.

Canada also suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong. Britain has proposed allowing up to 3 million Hong Kongers to live in Britain for a long time if they are entitled to British national overseas passports. «The National Security Act represents a fundamental change in the circumstances of our extradition agreement with Hong Kong,» Morrison told reporters on Thursday.