The move may not have the effect that the Hong Kong government hopes it would have.
The Hong Kong government on Wednesday formally gave up on the controversial extradition bill that sparked months of protests and social unrest that have since morphed into a campaign for greater democratic change. The move however is seen as unlikely to end the unrest.
"I now formally announce the withdrawal of the bill," Secretary for Security John Lee told the city's legislature.
The move is expected to fail at ending the unrest anytime soon. That's because the withdrawal of the bill is but one of five demands by pro-democracy protesters, who are also calling for the resignation of leader Carrie Lam. The leader has said that other demands, including universal suffrage and an amnesty for all those charged with rioting, were beyond her control.
The long-expected withdrawal of the bill was overshadowed by the drama surrounding the release of a murder suspect who was at the heart of the controversy. Many Hong Kongers called it a sign of Beijing's growing influence in the region.
At the center of the controversy is Chan Tong-kai, a Hong Kong citizen, who was released today after serving 18 months in prison on money laundering charges. Chan is wanted in Taiwan for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.
Chan has offered to voluntarily surrender to Taiwan, but both Hong Kong and Taiwan have clashed over the next steps.
Yesterday, Taiwan had announced that it was willing to send a delegation to bring Chan back to the island to stand trial. Hong Kong rejected the offer, saying he should be allowed to travel unaccompanied to Taiwan to turn himself in.
"There's no such thing as surrender, there's only arrest. We will continue to ask for legal assistance from the Hong Kong government, including providing related evidence and to ask the Hong Kong government not to evade the matter," Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told reporters.
Taiwan, an island that China considers its own territory awaiting annexation, does not have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
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