US on Wednesday terminated three bilateral agreements with Hong Kong covering extradition and tax exemptions followed by China’s imposition of a controversial National Security Law in the Asian trading hub to curb autonomy and democratic freedoms. This move came after a month of US President Donald Trump ended Hong Kong’s special status with the US and signed a legislation to sanction Chinese officials responsible for cracking down on political dissent in Hong Kong.
State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, “As part of the ongoing implementation measures, we notified the Hong Kong authorities on August 19 of our suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements. These agreements covered the surrender of fugitive offenders, the transfer of sentenced persons, and reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships”.
