Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, has voiced his "full support" on Wednesday for the proposed amendments to Hong Kong's extradition law.

Wang's remarks were cited by Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, in a media briefing after Wang met with a chamber delegation in Beijing.

Wang also called on Hong Kong's business sector to back the extradition bill proposed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said Choi, who's also a Standing Committee member of the CPPCC National Committee.

The bill, presented by the Hong Kong SAR Government to the Legislative Council, will allow Hong Kong to surrender fugitives, on a one-time and case-by-case basis, to jurisdictions that currently have no extradition agreement with the city.

The revision was triggered by a murder case last year in which a Hong Kong man, Chan Tong-kai, allegedly killed his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan and then fled back to the SAR. Taiwan authorities have been unable to prosecute him as the two sides have no fugitive transfer arrangements.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng, the central government's top official in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs, on Tuesday also pledged support for the amendments, saying the amendment proposal is fully in line with the Basic Law, the SAR's constitutional document, and will strengthen the city's rule of law.

At the media briefing, Choi reiterated the chamber's support for the revision to the city's extradition laws, the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has consulted the public on the rendition proposal, Choi said.

The SAR's Security Bureau had earlier adopted the business sector's suggestions and removed nine commercial offenses from the original list of 46 extraditable crimes.

According to statements issued by the chamber in late March and early May, the government's move to drop nine economic crimes from the proposed extradition law amendments will help address the concerns of the business sector.

The chamber stressed that the amendment proposal to the ordinances will help to plug legal loopholes in the city's extradition laws.

Contact the writers at kathyzhang@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 05/23/2019 page4)