Hong Kong lashes Scott Morrison on extraditions

Hong Kong’s government has blasted Australia’s move to suspend its extradition treaty with the city state, arguing it could hamper the fight against international crime.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Picture: AFP

Hong Kong’s government has blasted Australia’s move to suspend its extradition treaty with the Chinese city state, arguing it could hamper the fight against international crime.

China has also doubled down on its threats of retaliation after Scott Morrison suspended extraditions to Hong Kong and offered extended work rights and paths to citizenship to its citizens on Thursday, following the mainland’s security crackdown.

In a rare rebuke from Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam’s government, an official spokesman told The Weekend Australian any suspension of the extradition treaty would aid criminals to evade capture.

“We express deep regret and disappointment over Australia’s decision to suspend the agreement on surrender of fugitive ­offenders,” he said.

“Such unilateral action will not be helpful to the fight against international crime.”

The spokesman said the Hong Kong government would continue to monitor the situation ­following Australia’s decision.

The comments from Ms Lam’s spokesman represent a rare criticism from Hong Kong, which signed a free-trade agreement with Australia last year.

While relations between Australia and China have come under increasing tension in recent years, Australia has continued to enjoy a strong relationship with Hong Kong, which is home to some 100,000 people with Australian passports. This includes thousands of expat business people working for leading Australian companies including ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Telstra and Macquarie Group.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK was looking at its extradition arrangements with Hong Kong.

Canada suspended its extradition treaty earlier this week.

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday night doubled down on claims by its embassy in Canberra that the Prime Minister was breaking international law by ­offering work rights to Hongkongers. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned there would be consequences.

“We express strong condemnation and reserve the right to make further reactions, and Australia should bear all the consequences,” he said in Beijing.

“Isn’t non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs a basic norm governing inter­national relations? Do I have to elaborate?”

Leading independent economist Saul Eslake told The Weekend Australian the Chinese gov­ernment still needed Australia’s iron ore and coking coal, but could easily target other exports.

“What they do have alternatives for is everything else: tourism, education, beef, grain, wine, wool. And there’s thermal coal, where Indonesia is obviously the other big competitor,” he said.

Tax Institute senior counsel Robert Deutsch said Australia’s political stability and rule of law would be attractive to Hong Kong businesses wanting to escape the crackdown, despite the territory’s more liberal tax laws.

“Tax is not in my view the key driver. Political stability … and a free and open democracy have tremendous value,” he said.