E-Paper
More frost in UK-China ties as extradition pact is suspended
London’s latest action follows last week’s ban on Chinese company Huawei, high-profile expression of concern over the reportedly repressive treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China.
The Boris Johnson government on Monday escalated its ennui with China following Beijing’s recent enactment of a security law for Hong Kong by suspending the extradition treaty with it “immediately and indefinitely” and banned the export of items related to suppressing riots.
London’s latest action follows last week’s ban on Chinese company Huawei, high-profile expression of concern over the reportedly repressive treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China, and previous offer of a path to UK citizenship to Hong Kong citizens holding the British National (Overseas) passports.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the suspension in the House of Commons: “I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely”.
“And I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation”, he added.
UK is also extending to Hong Kong the arms embargo that is in force on mainland China since 1989.
This includes no exports from the UK to Hong Kong of potentially lethal weapons, their components or ammunition, besides a ban on the export of any equipment not already banned, which might be used for internal repression, such as shackles, intercept equipment, firearms and smoke grenades.
Calling upon China to live up to its international obligations, Raab said: “We want to work with China. There is enormous scope for positive, constructive, engagement…But, as we strive for that positive relationship, we are also clear-sighted about the challenges that lie ahead”.
“We will always protect our vital interests, Including sensitive infrastructure, and we won’t accept any investment that compromises our domestic or national security. Mr Speaker, we will be clear where we disagree, and I have been clear about our grave concerns regarding the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang”.
The opposition Labour supported the measures announced, calling it a step in the right direction. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the measures should lead to a “new era” in the two countries’ relationship.
She said: “This must mark the start of a more strategic approach to China based on an ethical approach to foreign policy and an end to the naivety of the ‘golden-era years’.”
“Like him, our quarrel is not with the people of China, but the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, the actions of the Chinese government in the South China Sea and the appalling treatment of the Uighur people is reason now to act. We will not be able to say in future years that we did not know.”
