Taiwan hits out at Beijing after claim it is involved in Hong Kong protests
- Mainland Affairs Council says the island has never been part of the People’s Republic and Taiwanese will never accept ‘one country, two systems’
- It also tells Communist Party to ‘admit its mistakes and start political reforms, practise democracy and respect human rights’
A mainland Chinese official’s claim that Taiwan was complicit in the protests that have gripped Hong Kong since June has prompted a sharp rebuke from the island’s political agency charged with managing relations with Beijing.
Taiwan had never been a part of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwanese would never accept Beijing’s “one country, two systems” political framework, the island’s Mainland Affairs Council said on Sunday.
“It’s the people who initiated the [Hong Kong] extradition bill who are making trouble, and Beijing’s actions to force Taiwan to accept the one country, two systems framework are the ultimate cause of the disruption of peace across the Taiwan Strait,” the council said in a statement.
“The Chinese Communist Party should admit its mistakes and start political reforms, practise democracy and respect human rights. And only afterwards can Beijing solve its internal and external crisis,” it said.
“The 23 million Taiwanese will never accept Beijing’s one country, two systems framework and will never surrender to Chinese bullying and threats.”