Hong Kong's justice chief says he will work towards an agreement for the extradition of criminals between Hong Kong and Macau.
Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung was speaking in Macau yesterday after he signed an agreement to allow mutual recognition of arbitral awards between the two cities with Macau Secretary for Administration and Justice Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan.
Yuen said extradition of criminals with Macau was an area of concern for him and he would follow it up in the future.
"We can see the necessity to follow up and work on mutual judicial assistance with Macau in areas including civil, business and criminal laws, other than arbitration," he said.
The absence of an extradition agreement between the two cities means it is not mandatory for Hong Kong people to appear in criminal trials in Macau and vice versa, and anyone convicted need not serve sentences imposed in the other place unless they go there.
Yuen did not elaborate on whether there was any schedule for an extradition agreement.