Hong Kong’s last British governor, Chris Patten, has said a proposed extradition bill allowing suspects to be sent to China for trial is a “terrible blow” to the rule of law and will undermine Hong Kong’s reputation as a global financial hub. The legal amendments being pushed by the special administrative region’s government would allow case-by-case transfers of people to countries without extradition treaties, including China.
Critics in the business, legal and diplomatic communities say the bill would in effect extend China’s coercive reach into Hong Kong and erode the rule of law. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with a guarantee that under a “one country, two systems” mode of governance, the city would retain a high degree of autonomy, an independent judiciary and freedoms not allowed in mainland China.
Critics in the business, legal and diplomatic communities say the bill would in effect extend China’s coercive reach into Hong Kong and erode the rule of law. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with a guarantee that under a “one country, two systems” mode of governance, the city would retain a high degree of autonomy, an independent judiciary and freedoms not allowed in mainland China.
