As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Resuming extradition agreements with some countries is up to the ones that suspended them, Hong Kong’s security chief has said, calling the loss of such transfer deals a “pity” and something that only benefits criminals.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said in an exclusive interview with the SCMP that the suspensions had resulted in the absence of a legal foundation for exceptional “case-by-case” extraditions as well.
“It is not our call. It is a call of those foreign countries. Because of those political reasons, they suspended those treaties. I think it is not a regret. It is a pity,” Tang said.
Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and Germany, suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong in protest against the Beijing-enacted national security law in 2020.
The security chief warned that the lack of the agreements would only benefit criminals.
“The only one being benefited is criminals. So I hope those foreign countries will resume those treaties,” he said.
When asked if stabilising US-China ties would bring more opportunities for the city to resume cooperation with its counterparts in law enforcement and security matters in the US, the minister said joint work against crime had never stopped.
“We work with all our counterparts against crimes,” Tang said.
The city will also host the 94th annual meeting of Interpol’s General Assembly from November 17 to 20 after China won the bid.
It will follow the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Finance Ministers’ Meeting the city will host in October.
Tang emphasised Hong Kong’s extensive experience in hosting international events and said the two high-level events would demonstrate the city’s inclusivity, safety and professionalism, as well as highlight its law-enforcement capabilities, financial strength and technological advancements.
“For the time being, there are still some foreign countries that are trying to smear Hong Kong, saying that there’s no freedom, the security is really bad,” Tang said.
“But when you come to Hong Kong, you can see how safe we are, you can walk safely on the street without any fear, [at] any time of the day. You can do whatever you want.”
When asked whether the US would attend the Interpol General Assembly, Tang said only that the country was a member of the organisation and that registration had not yet begun.
“Anyone who is a member of the Interpol community will [be] welcomed,” he added. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
