Bill Strains Government Authority: Felix Chung

Liberal Party leader Felix Chung says the government risks losing its authority over the controversial extradition bill. Speaking on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong, the pro-establishment lawmaker said society is being polarised and the administration must act to get its message across.

"A mass demonstration will be held on June 9 to protest against the bill. It will be a great worry if there is a large number of protesters going into the streets," he said.

"To avoid creating more political repercussions, the government should offer more explanations and try its best to comfort society. It should, in particular, address some exaggerated viewpoints. Otherwise, the government is destined to pay a heavy political price and it will be difficult to regain its authority and trust from society in the coming few years. It now seems without a doubt that our society is in danger of another great divide."

The extradition bill will allow fugitives to be sent for trial in jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no agreement. These include the mainland, Taiwan and Macau. Critics say this could result in political activists being extradited.

Foreign governments have also been critical. Some have said current extradition arrangements with the SAR could be affected.

The government says extraditions will be on a case by case basis and will need to be signed off by the Chief Executive.

It has also tweaked the bill to only allow extradition in cases involving crimes which carry a minimum sentence of seven years, up from three years in the original legislation. It has also said it would only entertain requests from top central government authorities.

Chung also called on the government to provide more support to businesses dealing with the escalating trade war between the US and China, saying the mainland and the US were Hong Kong's main trading partners.

"The trade conflict between the two nations has continued to affect local business. The export trade of many Hong Kong traders has fallen by 30% to 50% year on year," he said.