Some had flown in from Beijing, and a few of the party’s top experts on Hong Kong were there, too. (Mr. Xi was out of the country, celebrating his birthday with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at a regional summit meeting in Tajikistan.) Mrs. Lam’s argument failed to resonate, in part because many believe Hong Kong can find a way to ensure Mr. Chan faces trial without opening the door to extraditions to the mainland. China and Taiwan have for years sent criminal suspects to each other, for example, even though they do not formally recognize each other, and some lawmakers believe Hong Kong should establish a similar arrangement with Taiwan. “While this is undoubtedly true by almost every measurement, it would be really embarrassing for the Hong Kong government to admit that truth,” he said.

Source: International New York Times June 15, 2019 15:01 UTC