Artikel 4

The Requested Party shall refuse assistance if:
a) the request relates to acts or omissions which would not have constituted an offence under the law of the Requested Party, if they had taken place within its jurisdiction;
b) the Requested Party being the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the execution of the request would impair the sovereignty, security, public order, or essential interests of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
c) the Requested Party being the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the execution of the request would impair: (i) the sovereignty, security or public order of the People's Republic of China; or
(ii) the essential interests of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
(i) the sovereignty, security or public order of the People's Republic of China; or
(ii) the essential interests of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
d) the request relates to an offence of a political character;
e) the request relates to an offence under military law which is not an offence under ordinary criminal law;
f) the Requested Party has substantial grounds for believing that the request has been made for the purpose of prosecuting a person on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions;
g) the request relates to the prosecution of a person who is or who has become, for any reasons provided under the law of the Requested Party, immune from prosecution for the offence that underlies the request;
h) the Requesting Party cannot comply with conditions in relation to confidentiality or limitation as to the use of information or evidence to be provided.