Hong Kong to suspend cooperation agreement with US
Hong Kong set to suspend an agreement on mutual legal assistance with the US, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The legal assistance agreement, which has been in action since 1997, specified that both sides would help each other in criminal matters in times of need.
The move comes in response to Washington ending some agreements with Hong Kong after the new national security law came into force in the region.
The national security law punishes anything China considers secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison and has sparked harsh criticism internationally.
The US State Department notified Hong Kong on Wednesday that Washington had suspended or terminated three bilateral agreements with the semi-autonomous city.
The State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement the agreements ended covered “the surrender of fugitive offenders, the transfer of sentenced persons, and reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships.”
“These steps underscore our deep concern regarding Beijing’s decision to impose the National Security Law, which has crushed the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong."
The decision followed US President Donald Trump’s order last month to end Hong Kong’s special status.
“China urges the US to immediately correct its mistakes,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news briefing on Thursday.
According to Reuters, the Hong Kong government said the US decision to end the agreements showed “disrespect for bilateralism and multilateralism under the current administration and should be condemned by the international community”.
“The HKSAR Government strongly objects to and deplores the US action, which is widely seen as a move to create troubles in the China-US relationship, using Hong Kong as a pawn,” it said.
Hong Kong is the latest sticking point in China and US relations and has caused tensions between both sides to rise once again.