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A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
**HKSAR suspended agreement with U.S. on surrender of fugitive offenders and agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, a move coming after the U.S. announced suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements. **
HONG KONG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, in accordance with the instruction of China's central government, announced on Thursday the suspension of the agreement on surrender of fugitive offenders and agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between Hong Kong and the U.S.
The move came after the U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday the suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements signed between the HKSAR government and U.S. government.
The HKSAR government has issued a notice to the consulate general of the U.S. in Hong Kong on Thursday to suspend the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Hong Kong and the Government of the United States of America for the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders (SFO) and the Agreement between the Government of Hong Kong and the Government of the United States of America on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLA).
A spokesman for the HKSAR government said, "It is an international practice to safeguard national security through enactment of laws. The U.S. has put in place relevant legislation and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding its national security and sovereignty."
However, the U.S. has unilaterally suspended the agreement on surrender of fugitive offenders with the HKSAR using the enactment of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as an excuse, the spokesman said, adding that the move by the U.S. does not only smack of political manipulation and double standards, but is also gross interference in China's internal affairs and a grave violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations.
The HKSAR government strongly objects to the move by the U.S., which has politicized juridical co-operation, thereby seriously damaging the basis of juridical co-operation between the HKSAR and the U.S., the spokesman said.
The spokesman noted that all along, with the authorization and assistance of the central government, the HKSAR government has conducted close and effective law enforcement co-operation with the U.S. under the legal framework of SFO and MLA agreements based on the principle of mutual assistance and reciprocity.
The spokesman stressed that the HKSAR has established a comprehensive co-operation regime for MLA and SFO, and the HKSAR government will, as always, uphold the principle of mutual assistance and reciprocity, and carry out law enforcement co-operation with other members of the international community in accordance with the law.■
