}
598
(22206/11)
It is thus therefore competent for the Chinese Govern-
ment to ask for the rendition of any Chinese Criminal who
)
a
has committed a crime in the Empire and sought asylum in
Hongkong, and it is for the judicial authorities in Hongkong
to determine whether the offence with which the man is
charged is one of the Extradition Crimes scheduled in the
local ordinance and whether the circumstances warrant his
surrender.
It is understood from Sir F. Lugard's despatch that the
Chinese are, in practice, only in the habit of applying for
extradition under the provisions of this Article in cases of
capital or very grave crimes and His Excellency seems to
think it desirable that the Chinese authorities should be
encouraged to utilize it for minor offences as well. The
danger would appear to lie in the possibility, if the prac-
tice were extended, of Great Britain making itself a party
to and facilitating a system by which very drastic punish-
ments might be inflicted for comparatively trifling offences.
Mr. Wei Han evidently recognizes this when he proposes that
the Canton Government should give an undertaking that
execution