The Hong Kong government must do whatever it can to placate extradition row
- The city cannot afford more chaos and confrontation, and the priority must be to restore social stability and confidence in our business environment
Calls for the government to retract the unpopular extradition bill are mounting, with another mass protest scheduled on Sunday.
Separately, more foreign leaders and former government officials have spoken out against the proposal while business deals have been postponed or withdrawn amid shaken confidence.
So unsettling are the political and economic environments that it would do well for the government to pause and seriously consider what is in the city’s best interest.
In what appears to be a change of tone, some members of the chief executive’s cabinet have advised against rushing through the bill, which will allow the transfer of fugitives to places with which the city has no extradition agreement, including mainland China.
Executive Council convenor Bernard Chan said it was impossible to discuss the bill amid such confrontation.
Another council member, Ronny Tong Ka-wah, said all options should be considered, including whether to pass the bill immediately.