France won’t ratify extradition treaty with HK

PARIS (AFP) — France on Monday said it was halting ratification of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing introduced a controversial new security law in the former British colony.

“In light of the latest developments, France will not proceed as it stands with the ratification of the extradition agreement signed on May 4, 2017 between France and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry bitterly criticized the new security law, saying it called into question the principle of “‘one country, two systems’… and the fundamental freedoms that result from it.”