Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) says that it will not participate in the Hong Kong government’s attempts to “practice extradition.” The council is the Taiwan government’s top body charting China policy in the absence of official ties.
Right now Taiwan and Hong Kong do not have a legal basis for extradition. Hong Kong authorities proposed an extradition bill in the wake of a deadly murder, in which a man from Hong Kong murdered his girlfriend on Taiwanese soil.
The proposed extradition bill would have paved the way for Hong Kong to send the suspect to Taiwan for prosecution. But the bill also included an extradition agreement with China. That would allow anyone labeled as a suspect by Chinese authorities to be arrested in Hong Kong and sent to China for trial. Opposition to that extradition bill has led to some of the largest and fiercest protests in Hong Kong history.
The primary suspect in the murder case, Chan Tung-kai, has agreed to come to Taiwan to face trial. Hong Kong authorities also say they will assist Taiwan with the investigation. However, the Mainland Affairs Council says that in the absence of mutual legal assistance legislation, any help from Hong Kong can be construed as practicing the terms of the extradition bill.
National Security head Chiu Guo-cheng says that Hong Kong has ignored repeated requests to create legislation that would help bilateral investigation efforts. The council is refusing to take any actions can be construed as support for the controversial bill.
The council says that there are inconsistencies in Chan’s story, indicating the involvement of a third party. It says that there are clear political motivations behind Chan’s decision.