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The Boris Johnson authorities on Monday escalated its ennui with China following Beijing’s latest enactment of a safety regulation for Hong Kong by suspending the extradition treaty with it “immediately and indefinitely” and banned the export of things associated to suppressing riots.
London’s newest motion follows final week’s ban on Chinese firm Huawei, high-profile expression of concern over the reportedly repressive therapy of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China, and former supply of a path to UK citizenship to Hong Kong residents holding the British National (Overseas) passports.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab introduced the suspension in the House of Commons: “I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely”.
“And I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation”, he added.
UK is additionally extending to Hong Kong the arms embargo that is in drive on mainland China since 1989.
This contains no exports from the UK to Hong Kong of probably deadly weapons, their elements or ammunition, apart from a ban on the export of any gear not already banned, which is likely to be used for inside repression, such as shackles, intercept gear, firearms and smoke grenades.
Calling upon China to dwell as much as its worldwide obligations, Raab mentioned: “We want to work with China. There is enormous scope for positive, constructive, engagement…But, as we strive for that positive relationship, we are also clear-sighted about the challenges that lie ahead”.
“We will always protect our vital interests, Including sensitive infrastructure, and we won’t accept any investment that compromises our domestic or national security. Mr Speaker, we will be clear where we disagree, and I have been clear about our grave concerns regarding the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang”.
The opposition Labour supported the measures introduced, calling it a step in the appropriate path. Shadow international secretary Lisa Nandy mentioned the measures ought to result in a “new era” in the 2 international locations’ relationship.
She mentioned: “This must mark the start of a more strategic approach to China based on an ethical approach to foreign policy and an end to the naivety of the ‘golden-era years’.”
“Like him, our quarrel is not with the people of China, but the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, the actions of the Chinese government in the South China Sea and the appalling treatment of the Uighur people is reason now to act. We will not be able to say in future years that we did not know.”
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