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Wednesday, May 22, 2019, 00:36
Han: New rendition bill will strengthen HK's rule of law
By Chen Zimo
Wednesday, May 22, 2019, 00:36 By Chen Zimo

Vice-Premier Han Zheng, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with representatives of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations on Tuesday in Beijing. (YAO DAWEI / XINHUA)

HONG KONG - Vice-Premier Han Zheng has become the latest central government leader to back Hong Kong’s proposed amendments to its extradition laws, saying the move will strengthen the rule of law in the special administrative region.

Through the efforts of the HKSAR Government and rational discussions among the people of Hong Kong, a consensus will eventually be reached, Han said

He pledged the central government’s support for the revamp, stressing it’s fully in line with the Basic Law, the SAR’s constitutional document, and will boost the city’s judicial system.

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Han, who’s also the central government’s top official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, was speaking at a meeting with more than 100 delegates from the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations on Tuesday in Beijing.

Through the efforts of the HKSAR Government and rational discussions among the people of Hong Kong, a consensus will eventually be reached, he said.

Han expressed his hope that all sectors in Hong Kong will unite to project a better international image of the city’s rule of law.

The SAR government proposed amending the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance in March to enable Hong Kong to surrender fugitive offenders to jurisdictions with which it does not have extradition arrangements.

Hong Kong has signed rendition agreements with 20 jurisdictions so far. The Chinese mainland, the Macao SAR and Taiwan are not among them.

The proposed amendments, which enable the rendition of fugitives on a one-off, case-by-case basis, were triggered by a murder case involving a Hong Kong man, who returned to the SAR after fleeing Taiwan, where he allegedly killed his girlfriend. Taiwan authorities have been unable to prosecute him in the absence of an extradition arrangement between the two regions.

Han also told the delegation the central government appreciates the performance of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who has played a leading role in the SAR’s law-based and proactive governance, as well as its participation in various national strategies, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR expressed support for the proposed amendments Last week.

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Lam said on Tuesday it’s rightful and understandable for central government officials and institutions to comment on the extradition bill as the issue has escalated beyond Hong Kong’s internal affairs after comments by various foreign governments and organizations on the issue and the city’s rule of law.

Some external forces have also taken advantage of the amendments to attack Hong Kong’s judicial system and human rights on the Chinese mainland, undermining the relationship between the central government and the SAR, she added.

The SAR government on Monday requested a second reading of the bill at a full Legislative Council meeting on June 12, saying the bills committee tasked with vetting the amendments has been paralyzed by opposition lawmakers’ filibustering that obstructed the election of a committee chairperson.

mollychen@chinadailyhk.com

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