Pro-democracy lawmakers have threatened trying to block a controversial proposal to transfer fugitives between Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan when it comes before the Legislative Council. Opposition lawmakers floated the possibility of filibustering any bill, while the business sector has said it wants further revisions made to the government’s already watered-down plan. The gesture may prove to be largely futile however, as the government can rearrange the agenda in Legco to give certain bills priority, and it still enjoys a simple majority in the house. The latest development came as Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, expressed deep concern about the bill’s implications for the personal safety of Americans in Hong Kong. As of Wednesday, it remained uncertain whether security officials could secure full support from the business sector for the proposals, despite having offered the day before to exclude nine economic crimes – including some involving taxes and intellectual property rights – from the extradition plan. The proposal to allow one-off transfers of fugitives to any jurisdiction that Hong Kong does not have an extradition agreement with has raised concerns about China’s human rights record, and the threat to people who inadvertently commit an offence while conducting cross-border business. The government hopes the legislative process can be completed by July, in response to a high-profile murder case involving Hongkongers in Taiwan. Ahead of a planned rally on Sunday to oppose the extradition plan, a pro-democracy camp convenor, Claudia Mo Man-ching, said her forces would use “all possible means” to stop the extradition bill. “We would not preclude any possible measures to respond to the government’s extradition proposal,” Mo said. The gruesome Taiwan murder that lies behind Hong Kong’s extradition plan Staging a marathon filibuster by dragging on the annual appropriation bill and the National Anthem Bill could be an option, according to two sources from the camp. “The National Anthem Bill will be tabled [for vote] before the extradition bill, so we may have some firepower on that front,” the source said, referring to the bill that would criminalise any act disrespecting March of the Volunteers . Meanwhile, two business-friendly parties, the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) and the Liberal Party, have aligned with the pro-establishment camp in voting down a non-binding motion demanding that the extradition proposal be shelved. While the two parties said they did not oppose the plan in principle, they demanded further clarification from the government regarding the remaining 37 types of extraditable offences. The BPA has called on the government to clarify the offences related to corruption, bribery and breach of directors’ duty, and to consider allowing extradition for offences punishable by five years’ imprisonment instead of three years as revised. Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan said his party had not made up its mind on whether to vote for the bill, though he would support it as a member of the Executive Council. “Could the revision completely ease the doubts for businesses?” he said during the debate. “Perhaps not – so we need to consult our sector. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t support the government’s revision, because we understand extradition of serious criminals is legitimate.” The two parties, which controlled eight and four seats in Legco respectively, could determine the results of the final showdown of the bill, which needs only a simple majority to pass. But Senior Counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who also serves on the council with Cheung, had reservations about the government’s decision to exempt nine economic crimes, which he said were all serious offences. “Violation against securities and futures, and intellectual property rights could amount to tens of millions or billions lost,” Tong said on a RTHK programme. “The business sector won this time, politically, but at the price of governance, social justice and our legal system.”