Taiwan says it could issue travel warning for Hong Kong if extradition plans are not ditched
- Deputy minister of island’s Mainland Affairs Council says it is highly concerned by proposals
- Chiu Chui-cheng points to human rights and safety fears as main worry
A Taiwan official has warned the island could issue a travel alert for Hong Kong, if the city’s government insists on pushing ahead with a proposed extradition agreement with the mainland, Taiwan and Macau.
Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said on Monday that the council remained highly concerned about the extradition proposal despite recent assurances from Hong Kong officials.
“We will do whatever necessary to ensure the safety and rights of Taiwanese people living or travelling in Hong Kong,” he said. “We will provide information to our people, especially information about risks.”
Asked if authorities would consider a travel alert, Chiu said: “We have a lot of different measures, including the one you just mentioned. If the situation really worsened to that level, I am afraid that our personal safety could not be sufficiently protected [without a travel alert].”
Last month, the Security Bureau proposed an amendment to the extradition laws to allow the surrender of fugitives to jurisdictions in which the city has no extradition deal, including Macau, Taiwan and the mainland.
Officials said the bill was meant to close loopholes exposed by a murder case last year, in which Taiwanese authorities were unable to prosecute a Hongkonger accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend in Taipei before fleeing back home.