UK Foreign Secretary and Interior Secretary Cooper are calling on China to stop targeting the voices of opposition parties living in the UK.
The UK has accused Hong Kong authorities of offering to pay in exchange for helping the arrest of democratic activists living in the UK, even if the UK government began the process of reviving an extradition agreement with an autonomous Chinese city.
Foreign Secretary David Lamey and Interior Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a joint statement on Friday shortly after Hong Kong announced cash remuneration for information that led to the arrest of 19 democratic activists, including the UK, who have been accused of violating strict national security laws imposed by Beijing in 2020.
In their statement, Rammy and Cooper called on China to stop targeting British opposition targets.
“The issuance of further arrest warrants and bounty for individuals living in the UK by Hong Kong police is another example of cross-border oppression,” their statement read.
The prize money ranges from $200,000 to $1 million (approximately $25,000 to $125,000) depending on the individual Hong Kong authorities are attempting to arrest.
This was the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have offered a reward, attracting strong criticism from Western countries and accusing China of “intervention.”
In their statement, two British pastors said, “This government continues to stand with the people of Hong Kong; [United Kingdom] Their home. We take their rights, freedoms and safety very seriously.”
However, recent proposals by the UK government to reform extradition rules have sparked serious concerns and some fear that it could pave the way for a resumption of extradition to Hong Kong, which has been suspended since the 2020 National Security Act was enacted.
On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that the UK Home Office had applied to Parliament and made changes to the national law regarding the extradition on July 17th, followed by a letter to Shadow’s Secretary of Home Affairs, Chris Phillip, the following day.
“It is our national interest that criminals have an effective extradition relationship to prevent justice and Britain from becoming a criminal paradise,” said a July 18 letter from Dan Jarvis’s Minister of Security.
Additionally, the Home Office will restore the extradition framework between Chile and Zimbabwe, according to a letter shared by conservative MP Alicia Kearns on X.
Both Hong Kong and Zimbabwe cases will be considered on a “case-by-case basis,” Jarvis said.
Approximately 150,000 Hong Kong citizens have moved to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021.
In 2024, Hong Kong lawmakers approved a new national security law called Article 23 (called Article 23), giving the new power to curb all forms of objection on the grounds of treason, spying, incitement and external interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs. Since then, Hong Kong has provided bounty for the arrest of activists who fled the city while facing charges related to democratic protests.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been a particularly sticking point for the UK due to its historical relations and a sharp decline in Hong Kong’s political freedoms since China imposed a controversial national security law in 2020.
The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, ensuring a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under the “one country, two systems” formula.
