Taiwan says it ‘isn’t giving up on Hong Kong’ as Tsai Ing-wen considers suspending special status

Name: How China is drafting a new Hong Kong national security law at the National People’s Congress
Uploaded: 2020-05-25T14:15:16.000Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: How China is drafting a new Hong Kong national security law at the National People’s Congress

President may suspend act that gives preferential treatment to people from the city, if Beijing passes national security law

Policymaking body clarifies that Tsai’s remarks were aimed at letting Beijing know there would be ‘serious consequences’ over the legislation

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President Tsai Ing-wen said if Beijing’s national security law was implemented in Hong Kong it would seriously erode the city’s freedoms and judicial independence. Photo: AFP

Lawrence Chung

Published: 10:15pm, 25 May 2020Updated: 2:25pm, 26 May 2020

Taiwan’s mainland policymaker on Monday clarified that the self-ruled island would continue to support Hong Kong, after President Tsai Ing-wen said its special status could be revoked if Beijing passed a controversial national security law for the city.

Beijing last week unveiled a resolution on the legislation at its annual parliamentary session after months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, a move that has been widely condemned overseas and in the city, where it has sparked more demonstrations.

Tsai said in a Facebook post on Sunday that she might consider invoking Article 60 of the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong and Macau Affairs by suspending the “application of all or part of the provisions of the act” if the National People’s Congress bypassed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to approve the security law.

That would mean an end to the preferential treatment given to people from Hong Kong and Macau, including to visit and invest in the self-ruled island.

Tsai said Beijing’s move would break its promise for Hong Kong to remain unchanged for 50 years after it was handed over to China, and for the city to be run with a high degree of autonomy.

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How China is drafting a new Hong Kong national security law at the National People’s Congress

In a statement on Monday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council responded to criticism from opposition lawmakers that Tsai planned to “dump” Hong Kong people after using them to win January’s presidential election.