No de-escalation in diplomatic tensions between London and Beijing. The United Kingdom announced on Monday to suspend "immediately and for an indefinite period" its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. The move comes after China imposed a controversial security law on the former British colony. In front of Parliament, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab also announced to extend to Hong Kong the arms embargo already applied to China since 1989.
Both announcements come at a time when diplomatic relations between London and Beijing are at an all-time low, dampened by British criticism of how China is treating its Uyghur minority and the UK's recent decision to ban the Chinese telecoms giant. Huawei of its future 5G network.
London accuses China of "violation of the Sino-British treaty"
The promulgation by China at the end of June, after a wave of demonstrations for freedoms in Hong Kong, of the national security law - which notably provides for punishing separatist, "terrorist" activities, subversion and foreign interference in this autonomous territory Chinese- has further accelerated the deterioration of these relations.
"It is a clear and serious violation of the Sino-British treaty" on the organization in 1997 of the handover from Hong Kong to Beijing, reaffirmed this Monday Dominic Raab, who had already announced to extend the rights to immigration to millions of Hong Kong people holding the British Overseas Passport, or BN (O).
Beijing threatened retaliation
This first sanction had provoked the ire of China. Through the spokesperson for its Foreign Office, Wang Wenbin, this country had threatened the United Kingdom with reprisals, without specifying which ones, against what it considered to be interference in its affairs.
"The recent erroneous remarks and measures taken concerning Hong Kong seriously violate international law," the spokesperson said, "urging" London "not to take any further down this wrong path, in order to avoid further harm. to relations between »the two States.
"Internal repression"
Dominic Raab said on Monday that he wanted to start a constructive relationship with China, recognizing “its extraordinary transformation” and its key role in international trade. But he felt that a positive relationship also meant the right to voice disagreement.
Worried about a possible Chinese crackdown on enforcing the new national security law, the British foreign minister told MPs that there would no longer be exports of "potentially lethal weapons, their components or of their ammunition ”to Hong-Kong. He specified that this would also concern "any equipment which is not already prohibited (in China) but which could be used for purposes of internal repression".
The United States, Canada and Australia have taken similar decisions
Dominic Raab explained the suspension of the extradition treaty by the fact that the law on security had "considerably changed" the way in which the Hong Kong justice system works. Beijing could now demand that "certain cases" go "to Chinese courts," he said.
The suspension of this extradition treaty comes after the United States, Canada and Australia took similar steps.
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- Human rights
- Extradition
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- World