(Wellington) New Zealand on Tuesday suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong due to its “deep concern” over the new security law that China has imposed on the territory, mimicking Canada, the Great Britain and Australia.
Posted on 27 July 2020 at 22 h 45
France Media Agency
“China's adoption of the new national security law has eroded the principles of the rule of law” and “violated China's commitments to the international community,” the minister said. of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters.
This suspension, which risks angering Beijing, Wellington's biggest trading partner, is justified because “New Zealand can no longer have confidence in the independence of the Hong Kong judicial system from the China, ”he added.
He added that New Zealand would tighten restrictions on exports of military equipment to Hong Kong and warned its citizens about travel to the former British colony.
Three New Zealand partners within the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance (Canada, Great Britain, Australia) have also suspended their extradition treaty with Hong Kong, while the states -Unis have indicated that they want to do the same.
There was no immediate reaction from Beijing, but Chinese diplomacy has already warned that pressure against China on this controversial law would represent “gross interference in the internal affairs” of the Asian giant.
The security law is seen by its detractors as an erosion of civil liberties and human rights in this semi-autonomous financial center.