HONG KONG - Hong Kong's Security Bureau said Taiwan has to take the first step to allow Chan Tong-kai's entry in order to resolve the homicide case he was involved in.

In a statement issued on Friday, the bureau said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government hopes that the matter can be resolved as soon as possible, adding that the power to allow Chan's entry is only in the hands of Taiwan.

The Taiwan side can notify the Hong Kong side via the police liaison channel if Chan is allowed to enter Taiwan, even if the approval is given in principle only, the bureau said.

Police units of both sides can then start working on the arrangement of the trip, according to the statement.

The bureau reiterated that self-surrender and legal assistance are two independent matters and that legal assistance has never been a prerequisite for accepting an act of surrender.

It also pointed out that Hong Kong's relevant legislation on legal assistance is not applicable to Taiwan and it is impossible for the HKSAR government to violate the laws.

It is utterly unreasonable and impracticable for Taiwan to set legal assistance as the pretext for surrender, it added.

Chan, a Hong Kong resident, admitted to killing his girlfriend while they were in Taiwan in 2018. After returning to Hong Kong, Chan was convicted of money laundering over valuables he took from his girlfriend and was given a prison sentence of 29 months — which was later reduced.

He was released from prison last October after serving his sentence. He has said that he would surrender himself to the police of Taiwan.