UK Suspends Extradition Treaty with Hong Kong

Britain government has suspended its extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong, in response to China’s introduction of a new security law in the territory. UK government has also decided to extend its arms embargo ban which has been in place with China since 1989 – to Hong Kong, stopping the UK exporting equipment, such as firearms, smoke grenades and shackles, to the region.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

Extradition is the formal process of one state surrendering an individual to another state for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed in the requesting country’s jurisdiction. It typically is enabled by a bilateral or multilateral treaty.

On 30th June 2020, China’s top legislature unanimously passed a new national security law for Hong Kong.

The law criminalises four activities – secession, subversion, organization and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.

Some specific offences include damaging government buildings and lobbying against the Chinese government.

The UK fears the arrangement – which has been in place for more than 30 years – could see anyone it extradites to Hong Kong being sent on to China. Under the national security law, it is quite possible that Hong Kong residents are being sent to mainland China for trial.

China’s Huawei Technologies will be removed completely from Britain’s 5G network by the end of 2027.