Ma Ying-jeou says Beijing must be prudent in handling dissent

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou called on Beijing to be "very prudent" in handling dissenting voices in Hong Kong over the city's political reform, saying Taiwan's public was watching the city's democratic development.

"The mainland should let the world know it can really allow Hong Kong people to run Hong Kong after its handover to the Chinese mainland - this is also about its promise and credibility," Ma said in an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera network.

His comments were made on September 16 but the full transcript was only released late on Saturday.

Ma also pointed to Taiwan's close relationship with Hong Kong. "We sincerely hope that the mainland and Hong Kong can work out a solution acceptable by the two sides," he said. "It is very important for Hong Kong, and the Taiwanese people are watching."

Any moves by Beijing to suppress protests or other confrontational activities would only hurt Hong Kong's future and damage the country's reputation around the world, Ma said.

"Hong Kong is already an important financial centre in the world and any political fluctuation would hurt Hong Kong's economy and people's livelihood," he said.

President Xi Jinping discussed cross-strait ties with a Taiwanese delegation on Friday. Xi told the pro-unification group that Beijing had found the "one country, two systems" model the best solution for the six-decade cross-strait political stand-off.