WELLINGTON (NEW ZEALAND) – New Zealand has halted its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, making way to a number of other changes after China passing a national security law for the territory, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters on Tuesday.
Peters said in a statement, “New Zealand can no longer trust that Hong Kong’s criminal justice system is sufficiently independent from China.”
“If China in future shows adherence to the ‘one country, two systems’ framework then we could reconsider this decision.”
Beijing enforced new legislation on the former British colony during this month in spite of protests from Hong Kong residents and Western nations.
Australia, Canada and the UK are among the countries that have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong earlier this month.
Peters said New Zealand will give the same importance to military and dual-use goods and technology exports to Hong Kong as it gives to exports to China.
Travel advice has been changed to draw attention to New Zealanders to the threats posed by the new security law, he added.
In a website statement, the Chinese embassy in New Zealand, however, called the decision a breach of international law.
China has been New Zealand’s largest trading partner, with annual two-way trade, which recently went beyond NZ$32 billion ($21 billion).
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.