Angering China, Australia suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong,
extends visas
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[July 09, 2020]
By Kirsty Needham
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia said on
Thursday it was suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in
response to a new security law imposed there and announced measures to
attract businesses from the Asian financial hub, provoking an angry
response from Beijing.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the law introduced last week in Hong
Kong was a fundamental change of circumstances and Australia would
suspend the extradition agreement.
"There will be citizens of Hong Kong who may be looking to move
elsewhere, to start a new life somewhere else, to take their skills,
their businesses," Morrison said, outlining changes to visa programmes.
Morrison said Hong Kong students, graduates and workers in Australia on
temporary visas will have the opportunity to stay and work for an extra
five years and apply for permanent residency after that time.
Future student visas would also be offered for five years, however
Morrison said they were "not expecting large numbers of applicants any
time soon".
Speaking in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said
Morrison's government should change course and stop interfering in
Chinese affairs, warning that China, the biggest customer for Australian
exports, reserved the right to take retaliatory action.
Two-way trade between the countries was worth A$235 billion last year.
And the Chinese embassy in Canberra warned earlier that unless Australia
stopped meddling "it will lead to nothing but lifting a rock only to hit
its own feet".
WELCOMING TALENT
There are 10,000 Hong Kong citizens in Australia on student visas or
temporary work visas, with a further 2,500 outside Australia and 1,250
applications on hand, according to the government. Hong Kong applicants
would be prioritised under Australia's Global Talent Scheme and business
visa programme.
"There is so much talent in Hong Kong," said Acting Immigration Minister
Alan Tudge. "There are great businesses in Hong Kong. And we know that
many individuals now might be looking elsewhere, because they do want to
be in a freer country, they want to be in a democratic country."
Australia offered asylum to some 42,000 Chinese students who were in
Australia after a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests Tiananmen
Square in 1989.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a state
memorial honouring victims of the Australian bushfires at Qudos Bank
Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, February 23, 2020.
REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Imposed after months of mass protests that sometimes resulted in
violent clashes between police and pro-democracy supporters, Hong
Kong's new security law punishes acts of secession, subversion,
terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in
prison.
BUSINESS PITCH
Morrison also made a pitch for international financial services,
consulting and media businesses with regional headquarters in Hong
Kong to relocate to Australia, saying his government would
proactively encourage that.
He said measures would be accommodated within Australia's existing
caps on permanent resident visas, and Hong Kong citizens could also
apply to the humanitarian and refugee visa programme.
Hong Kong student Dennis Chan, who attends university in New South
Wales and is a spokesman for community group Australia-Hong Kong
Link, welcomed the stance taken by Australia.
But, he said some graduates were worried they weren't covered, as
many had returned to Hong Kong and were on bridging visas, unable to
return to Australia because of COVID-19.
"People who protested in Hong Kong are facing difficulties leaving
Hong Kong to come to Australia," he told Reuters.
Australia changed its travel advisory for Hong Kong, where around
100,000 Australians live and work, to say "reconsider your need to
remain in Hong Kong" if they are concerned about the new law.
Canada last week announced it would suspend its extradition treaty
with Hong Kong in the wake of the legislation and could boost
immigration from the former British colony.
New Zealand said it was also reviewing its relations with Hong Kong,
and would review extradition arrangements, controls on exports of
strategic goods and travel advice.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Christian Schmollinger,
Lincoln Feast and Simon Cameron-Moore)
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