More protests planned in Hong Kong as extradition bill moves forward

Hong Kong (dpa) - Thousands of people in Hong Kong were expected to skip work on Wednesday to protest against a legislative bill that would allow for extradition to China, just days after the city saw its largest protest in decades.

Over 1,000 businesses announced on social media that they would close their doors and demonstrate outside of Legislative Council, where the extradition bill was to have its second reading.

The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions told dpa that it was encouraging its members to take sick leave, while social workers and the teachers' union were planning to strike.

The bill has ignited political feeling in a way not seen since 2014's Umbrella Movement democracy protests and mass protests in 2003 against national security legislation.

While Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, many residents simply do not trust China's legal system.

The bill has also prompted rare criticism from the international business community, which fears the possibility of extradition to China will damage Hong Kong's open business environment and rule of law.

Leader Carrie Lam, however, has vowed to push forward with the legislation which she says close important legal "loopholes."

The bill follows a case last year when a local man killed his girlfriend while on holiday in Taiwan, which lacks an extradition agreement.

Changes would allow Hong Kong to extradite to jurisdictions where it does not maintain a long-term extradition agreement on a case by case basis, including Taiwan and China.