A murder suspect fled to China from Taiwan. Then he got stuck in Covid quarantine
 China's stringent zero-Covid policy has allowed authorities to catch thousands of imported coronavirus cases. But, occasionally, it might help catch a fugitive too.
A murder suspect who fled to China hours after allegedly gunning down a man in Taiwan on Monday is now "trapped" in hotel quarantine upon arrival in the coastal city of Xiamen — setting himself up for an easy capture by authorities.
Taiwanese law enforcement agents have sought help from their Chinese counterparts to return the suspected gunman to the island, Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) told CNN Thursday.
Since the pandemic, China has imposed some of the strictest border restrictions in the world.
Foreign visitors, from tourists to students, are largely banned from entering mainland China. Those few who are allowed in, as well as returning Chinese citizens, must undergo at least 14 days of centralized quarantine — and that goes for fugitives too.
The suspect, surnamed Huang, who is in his 30s, allegedly shot a 45-year-old man early Monday in New Taipei City, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA).
The victim suffered two gunshot wounds to his neck, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital later Monday, according to local police, who learned of the shooting at about 8 a.m. local time.
Huang, meanwhile, is alleged to have fled the scene in a silver car, which he is subsequently accused of abandoning in the parking lot of a shopping mall, CNA reported. He then allegedly attempted to cover his tracks by twice changing his clothes and taking different modes of transportation to reach Taoyuan International Airport, where he boarded a plane that left for mainland China around noon, the report said.
Huang is understood to be in quarantine at a hotel in Xiamen, CNA reported.
Taiwanese police are investigating the case, according to CNA. The report added that China's Ministry of Public Security has received CIB's extradition request.
In its reply to CNN, the CIB declined to comment on the progress of extradition, citing ongoing negotiation with Chinese authorities.
The suspect's escape to China, first reported by Taiwanese media and later picked up by Chinese state media, has caused a stir on Chinese social media. On Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, two related hashtags have attracted a total of nearly 300 million views.
"(He) can escape arrest by Taiwanese police, but he can't escape the mainland's epidemic prevention and control measures," said a top comment on Weibo.
"After arriving on the mainland, he must have been taken away for quarantine as soon as he got off the plane!" another said.
In a news conference Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, noted reports of the shooting, without offering any details. "We are currently verifying details of the situation," she said.
On Weibo, some users see the case as an opportunity to advance Beijing's claim of sovereignty over self-governing Taiwan.
"I hope the trial will be held on the mainland and the central government will uphold justice for Taiwan compatriots, so we can truly benefit Taiwan and warm people's hearts," said one popular comment.
Taiwan and China have extradited suspects and convicted criminals across the Taiwan Strait in the past. But with relations between Taipei and Beijing at their lowest point in decades, it remains unclear how Beijing will react to Taiwan's request this time.
Beijing views the self-ruling democracy of 24 million people as part of its territory, despite the Chinese Communist Party having never governed Taiwan. For decades after the founding of the People's Republic of China, animosity reigned between Beijing and Taipei, with trade, travel and communication largely cut off and military conflicts flaring.
But tensions began to ease in the late 1980s, and in 1990, the two sides signed the Kinmen Accord, which allowed them to hand over each others' illegal immigrants, criminal suspects and convicted criminals.
In 2009, Beijing and Taipei signed a further agreement that institutionalized cross-strait crime fighting and mutual legal assistance, covering "narcotics, smuggling, money laundering, fraud, corruption and other economic crimes."
Since then, Taiwan has received 502 suspected criminals from China, according to data provided by Taiwan's Ministry of Justice.
Previous high-profile extradition cases include Taiwan's former judge Lee Dong-ying, who fled to China's southern Guangdong province after being convicted of corruption in Taiwan, and Chen Yung-chih, a top wanted criminal who was involved in at least five shootings on the island.
China, on the other hand, has received 21 people from Taiwan, according to the island's Ministry of Justice.
But relations between Beijing and Taipei have grown frosty since Tsai Ing-wen from the traditionally pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became Taiwan's President in 2016. And with it, the number of cross-strait extraditions have also plummeted.
In 2015, Beijing handed over 63 wanted fugitives to Taipei. That number plunged to 17 the next year, and has been on the decline ever since. Last year, only four suspects were returned to Taiwan from China.
And this year, as of September, not a single suspect has been extradited.
— Additional reporting by Wayne Chang  Nectar Gan is China Reporter for CNN International in Hong Kong. She covers the changes taking place in China, and their impact on the world.   A recently resurfaced photo of a meeting between China's former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach in Beijing in 2016 has drawn attention to Zhang's role in leading China's organizing efforts for the 2022 Winter Olympics before his retirement. Zhang, who was accused earlier this month by Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai of sexual assault, has remained completely outside of public view since the scandal ignited global outcry — amplifying calls for a boycott of the Games that he helped organize. 'What's the use of calling?': Hotline outburst goes viral In China, any citizen with a complaint for local authorities can simply pick up the phone and dial "12345."
From anywhere in the country, that number connects to a 24-hour government hotline staffed by operators who can direct the caller to the relevant department.
At least, that's the theory.
Discord in the hotline system was exposed this week, however, when an unsatisfied complainant leaked a secret recording of an operator's furious tirade. On Weibo, China's version of Twitter, a related hashtag has been viewed more than 110 million times.
"Why are you even calling? What can 12345 do?" the operator, surnamed Bai, asked Li Heng, a caller from Hengshui city in southern Hebei province, state-run China Youth Daily reported Tuesday.
"They don't do anything. Anyone who calls 12345 is bound to fail. No one who calls 12345 gets anything done. What's the use of calling? None!"
Li, who had called the hotline about a property dispute, told China Youth Daily he had tried to get through three times as well as making 22 unreturned calls to the relevant local government department.
So, when he finally got a call back, he was expecting help — not a dressing down, he added.
In a statement Thursday, Hengshui city authorities criticized the operator's "irresponsible" attitude, adding he had been suspended pending an investigation.
The 12345 hotline covers non-emergency local services such as social work, business regulation, and environmental protection, according to state-run broadcaster CGTN. However, it's not intended for procedures such as lawsuits or matters relating to the state or ruling Chinese Communist Party.
Reaction to the recording was mixed online, with some Weibo users sharing their successes with the hotline while others criticized callers who they said were abusing the service with demands outside of its remit.
Some posters also suggested the operator's defeatist attitude may have been shaped by systemic failures he witnessed at work.
"The people are the masters, and the (Communist Party) cadres are public servants," one Weibo user wrote. "Have you ever seen a servant scolding their master?"
— By Cheryl Ho  The Biden administration is piling more pressure on Chinese companies it claims could undermine US national security.
The US Commerce Department this week added a dozen Chinese companies to a trade blacklist, saying that some of the firms have supported the modernization of China's army.
US officials called the move part of an effort to prevent emerging US technologies from being used for quantum computing efforts that would support China's military, such as "counter-stealth and counter-submarine applications."
The Commerce Department also cited concerns about China's "ability to break encryption or develop unbreakable encryption."
Tensions between the United States and China that escalated under former President Donald Trump have continued to simmer under President Joe Biden. And despite a recent first virtual summit with President Xi Jinping, and collaboration on the climate crisis and oil reserves, his administration has so far done little to wind down the pressure on Beijing.
In April, the Biden administration added seven Chinese businesses with ties to the military to the list that restricts US firms from dealing with the companies. At the time, the Commerce Department said those companies operated in the field of supercomputing and have helped the Chinese government modernize its military or have worked on weapons of mass destruction programs.
China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday blasted the new sanctions, saying the country "will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies."
Spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused the US of having "repeatedly generalized national security" and having "abused state power" to suppress Chinese enterprises.
— Kylie Atwood contributed to reporting.  Jill Disis is the Asia Editor of CNN Business based at the network's Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. She oversees coverage of markets, companies, technology and major economies throughout the region. Around Asia
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