Past midnight, Hong Kong had no response to controversial condition imposed by Taiwan – that its own police and prosecutors bring Chan Tong-kai, 20, back to island

Taipei also warns that Hong Kong will be responsible for the consequences of letting suspect go free

South China Morning Post
Date: 23 Oct, 2019
By: Lawrence Chung , Alvin Lum , Christy Leung  

Hong Kong’s embattled government remained silent late on Tuesday night as Taiwan raised the stakes in an escalating political row by offering to accept the surrender of a murder suspect whose case sparked the city’s extradition bill crisis.

Past midnight, Hong Kong had no response to a controversial condition imposed by the self-ruled island – that its own police officers and prosecutors be allowed to bring 20-year-old Chan Tong-kai back – and a warning that the city would be responsible for the consequences of letting him go free.

After flatly rejecting Chan’s offer to turn himself in to Taiwan, where he is wanted for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend last February, and insisting Hong Kong should further detain and prosecute him following his expected release on Wednesday, the island’s government on Tuesday afternoon said it was willing to take him back.

Mainland Affairs Council vice-chairman Chiu Chui-cheng held a press conference in Taipei to announce that Taiwan was willing to take Chan into custody because the “Hong Kong government is reluctant to deal with the murder case” and “obviously does not want to exercise jurisdiction”.
[FULL  STORY]