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Hong Kong extradition bill
Hong KongPolitics

International Chamber of Commerce – Hong Kong calls on government to halt extradition bill, saying global companies might ­reconsider locating offices in the city

  • Government urged to suspend bill until a proper public consultation is held
  • Lee Jark-pui, ICCHK chairman, worries about city’s reputation as global business centre

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Lee Jark-pui, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Gary Cheung

A prominent business group has urged the government to ­abandon its controversial ­extradition bill, saying the amendments to the fugitive law would force businesses to ­reconsider if they should locate their regional offices in the city.

The International Chamber of Commerce – Hong Kong (ICCHK) made the comment a day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ruled out making any changes to the bill, which has stalled in the Legislative Council amid filibustering by pan-democrats and opposition from the city’s business sector and human rights groups.

In a letter to lawmakers on Wednesday, the ICCHK complained that the government’s public consultation period was too short for an issue that so deeply affects life and work in the city.

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In February, the Security Bureau allowed the public to submit feedback within 20 days after it presented the fugitive bill. The ICCHK is made up of leading companies and professionals as well as chambers of commerce and business groups.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks before a meeting of the Executive Council on Tuesday. Photo: Edmond So
Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks before a meeting of the Executive Council on Tuesday. Photo: Edmond So
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The ICCHK does not reveal the total number of its members, but its aim is to promote the city’s business interests in the global community. The organisation’s chairman is Lee Jark-pui, a non-executive director of Hong Kong-listed Lippo Limited.

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