Hong Kong extradition bill could pose risk to US national security and economic interests, warns congressional report
- The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission says the proposed measures mean American citizens could end up being handed over to China for trial
- The report also suggested the bill, if passed, might provide grounds for the US to re-examine elements of its current relationship with Hong Kong
A US congressional body has warned that the Hong Kong government’s proposed extradition bill could create serious national security and economic risks as it will allow Beijing to pressure the city into handing over American citizens under false pretences.
In a critical report issued on Wednesday, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said the bill, if passed, would increase Hong Kong’s susceptibility to Beijing’s weak legal system and political coercion, leading to further erosion of the city’s autonomy.
The proposal would allow the city to conduct case-by-case transfers of suspects to places it lacks extradition deals with, including mainland China and Taiwan.
“One major concern is that the bill could allow Beijing to pressure the Hong Kong government to extradite US citizens under false pretences,” the report, written by the commission’s security and foreign affairs policy analyst Ethan Meick, said.
In response, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily press conference in Beijing that the commission had “always been biased against China” so its report was not even worthy of a rebuttal.