Taiwan fears Hong Kong national security law will leave representative office unable to function
- The island’s acting representative in the city has left after refusing to endorse the one-China principle and Taipei is concerned the squeeze will continue
- Taiwan insists it will not sign statements to comply with sweeping new security law, but fears it will hit the quasi-diplomatic mission’s operations
Taiwan fears that its representative office in Hong Kong will gradually become unable to function properly as it is squeezed by Beijing’s new national security law.
The island’s acting representative in the city Kao Ming-tsun and two colleagues were forced to leave the city after they refused to sign a statement “rigorously upholding the one-China principle” and agreeing to abide by Hong Kong law as a condition of having their work visas renewed.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which also supervises Hong Kong and Macau affairs, has admitted that Kao’s tenure has ended, but declined to confirm whether Kao was forced to leave because he refused to sign the statement.
“The stationing of our personnel in Hong Kong is in line with our job rotation [policy], and those posted [there] do their best to serve their positions steadfastly,” said Chiu Chui-cheng, the vice-president of the council.
He complained that the Hong Kong authorities had imposed “unnecessary obstacles” that went beyond the 2011 agreement signed by the two sides to establish the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei.
