Hong Kong Scales Back Extradition Law That Spooked Business
- Government will remove nine categories from proposed law
- Concerns about people being sent to China for prosecution
Road signs stand behind a fence near the border with China on the Hong Kong Link Road section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in Hong Kong.
Photographer: Justin Chin/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Hong Kong scaled back a proposed extradition law amid concerns by opposition lawmakers and Western governments that the legislation could put people at risk of being sent to China and further erode the city’s autonomy.
The government will remove nine categories including bankruptcy, securities and futures, and intellectual property from the proposed extradition law, Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told reporters on Tuesday. The proposed law would still include offenses like murder, polygamy and robbery that would be eligible for at least a three-year jail sentence under Hong Kong law.