The celebration of Taiwan's national day in Hong Kong next Friday will be low-profile, even after the Kuomintang's political resurgence on the island, sources say. Although Hong Kong has never been politically associated with the Republic of China - as Taiwan is officially known - many Hongkongers have celebrated the event because of strong historic links. Taiwan will celebrate its 97th anniversary on October 10. Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the republic and the KMT, was educated in Hong Kong and formed many of his revolutionary ideas in the city. But the celebration of Double Tenth Day in Hong Kong became increasingly rare after the handover and the KMT's loss of power to the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Many predicted that ties between Hong Kong and Taiwan would improve again after the KMT came back into power this year, but this may be a long process. Except for the new general managing director of the Chung Hwa Travel Service, Jeff Yang Jia-jiunn, no high-ranking Taiwanese officials will attend the celebration organised by Taiwanese groups in Hong Kong this year. Chung Hwa Travel Service is Taiwan's de facto representative office in Hong Kong. The source said Mr Yang, who was also the director of the Mainland Affairs Council's Hong Kong Affairs Bureau, would represent Taiwan at a rally today and at a cocktail reception on Friday. 'Some Legislative Yuan lawmakers are coming to Hong Kong to join us,' the source said. The source said organisers had invited all senior officials from the Hong Kong government and 60 new Legislative Council lawmakers, 'but we expected only a few pan-democratic legislators will show up. None of the Hong Kong government officials will come'. New legislator Wong Yuk-man, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, confirmed that he would attend. 'I have always celebrated the event because I recognise the Republic of China [as a legitimate government]. This won't change whether I am a lawmaker or not.' Mr Wong said he opposed Taiwan independence and adhered to the one-China principle. Another new legislator, Paul Tse Wai-chun, said he would also attend the celebrations as usual. 'I will be there because I think the overthrow of the Qing dynasty is something worth being commemorated.' But for many veteran KMT supporters in Hong Kong, the reality is that the city's link with the ROC is fading. 'We should come to terms with this: the ROC is over, and now is the era of the People's Republic of China,' said Chan Man-hing, 79.
