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Why Taiwan Wanted to Try a Murder Suspect, then Asked him to Stay Home

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Ten months ago Taiwan issued an order for the arrest
   of Chan Tong-kai, a 20-year-old man suspected of strangling his
   pregnant friend to death while the two were visiting from Hong Kong.
   This past week, when Chan said he was ready to head back from Hong Kong
   and face prosecution, Taiwan's government said it couldn't let him.

   That outcome illustrates the deep political differences between Taiwan
   and Hong Kong's overseer, mainland China. The two have had icy
   relations for seven decades, making it hard to cooperate on matters
   including crime. China cut off formal talks in 2016 with the government
   of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

   Hong Kong and Taiwan lack an extradition deal that would give
   authorities in Taipei a framework to accept Chan's return. The suspect
   left Taiwan days after the killing of his friend, 21-year-old Poon
   Hiu-wing, in February 2018. Taiwanese police never caught him, though
   they have a file on the case that evidently began in a Taipei hotel
   room.

   To accept Chan's return would imply that China can treat Taiwan as its
   own territory with no need for an extradition deal of the sort that's
   typical between two countries, some analysts believe.

   "Tsai Ing-wen's government, they are afraid that if we accept Mr. Chan
   back to Taiwan, that would fall into the trap of China's law," said
   Michael Tsai, chairman of the Institute for Taiwan Defense and
   Strategic Studies in Taiwan.

   China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, but the Taiwan
   government and most citizens say they prefer autonomy.

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