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AFP
New Zealand says Hong Kong’s “unique status” is at stake
New Zealand has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China’s new national security law for the territory.
The widely criticized law makes protesters easier to punish and reduces city autonomy.
Travel tips have also been updated to alert New Zealanders of the risks presented by the law.
Australia and the United Kingdom previously suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong.
New Zealand’s exports of military and dual-use goods and technology to Hong Kong will now be treated in the same way that New Zealand treats those exports to China.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said China had “eroded the principles of the rule of law, undermined the ‘one country, two systems’ framework that supports Hong Kong’s unique status and had gone against the commitments that China made to the international community. “
The Hong Kong government says the law must bring order to a city that saw massive pro-democracy protests last year that often turned violent.
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