National security law: Beijing suspends Hong Kong’s extradition treaty with New Zealand in tit-for-tat move
- Foreign ministry in Beijing accuses Wellington government of gross interference in China’s internal affairs and politicising judicial cooperation
- New Zealand earlier pulled out of extradition treaty in response to imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong
Beijing officials also accused the Wellington government of politicising judicial cooperation and gross interference in China’s internal affairs when they announced the tit-for-tat move on Monday, marking the latest in a series of collapsed fugitive agreements co-signed by Hong Kong.
New Zealand suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong
“Therefore, China has decided to suspend [Hong Kong’s] extradition agreement and the deal on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters with New Zealand,” he added at the regular press conference.
The Hong Kong government said in a statement it had also served notice on the New Zealand consulate on Monday to suspend the extradition deal between the two jurisdictions.
“The move by New Zealand smacks of political manipulation and double standards,” said a city government spokesman, referring to national security legislation introduced in the Pacific country.
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What you should know about China's new national security law for Hong Kong
New Zealand is the fourth country from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance to take similar action against Hong Kong in protest against Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the city, following in the footsteps of Canada, Britain, and Australia, which say the legislation will give Beijing sweeping powers over Hong Kong.
In addition, New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters said New Zealand would treat the export of sensitive goods to Hong Kong, such as military and dual-use goods and technology, as if they were being sent to China.
The other member of the Five Eyes alliance is the United States, which is preparing sanctions against Hong Kong following the passage of the national security law, which targets acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security.
Washington is also planning to suspend its shared extradition arrangements with Hong Kong, as is Germany.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said on Monday that he shared the views aired last week by Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu that the management of staff at city’s schools should be improved to remove the “bad apples”.
Yeung also reiterated that the Education Bureau would help strengthen elements of national education in schools, with guidelines to be issued over how the new national security law might change the daily operation of schools.
“National security is an important topic that must be reflected in schools’ curriculum,” Yeung told reporters.
Hong Kong schools to get new teaching guidelines on security law
Lee, who sits on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, the local body involved in formulating policy relating to the legislation, called for the tighter management of schools and their staff to rid them of “bad apples”, referring to teachers who acted unprofessionally, especially under the new law.
In the year to June 2020, the Education Bureau received 222 protest-related complaints of teachers’ professional misconduct. Of the 180 cases in which at least initial investigation has been completed, 26 teachers have been reprimanded or handed warning letters.
Under the national security law, articles 9 and 10 require the Hong Kong government to “take necessary measures” to strengthen guidance, supervision and regulation, and promote national security education, in schools and universities.
