The protest in Hong Kong against the special administration's planned anti-subversion law on Tuesday highlighted that the "one country, two systems" policy is unfeasible and that it is necessary and urgent for Taiwan to enact a referendum law, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
"The march symbolizes that the basic human rights Hong Kong people used to enjoy before the special administration was handed over to China six years ago were gradually encroached on, and the illusion Hong Kong people have had about the `one country, two systems' has been completely shattered," Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
The march also brings out the necessity and urgency of Taiwan's enacting legislation for a referendum, Yu said.
"With the implementation of the referendum law, we don't have to take to the streets to safeguard our freedom and democracy because the legislation would empower the 23 million Taiwanese people to decide on significant national issues via a popular vote," Yu said.
Yu made the remarks during the weekly closed-door Cabinet affairs meeting yesterday morning in response to the largest organized protest in Hong Kong since 1989.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to streets on Tuesday to denounce the Hong Kong government's planned anti-subversion law, which Beijing has been pressing Hong Kong to enact.
The law would be enshrined as Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, or mini-constitution. While most marchers' prime target was the anti-subversion measure, many others said they were frustrated by the government's handling of the ailing economy and the SARS epidemic, which killed some 300 people in the territory.
As Taiwan has experienced the transfer of power from authoritarian rule to a democracy, Yu said, Taiwanese people can empathize with the feelings of the people of Hong Kong.
"I'm here calling on the nation to fully support the people of Hong Kong's campaign to protect their basic human rights and freedom and to realize the true danger of the `one country, two systems' policy," Yu said.
Yu yesterday also instructed the Mainland Affairs Council to closely monitor the development of Hong Kong's situation and present a response measure as soon as possible.
In addition, Yu requested government agencies concerned to take the initiative to defend the freedom and human rights of Taiwanese people based in Hong Kong.
Briefing Yu about the impact of Hong Kong's planned anti-subversion measures on Taiwan-Hong Kong relations during the Cabinet meeting, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (
"It's a serious matter to legislate such basic human rights as freedom of speech, publication, association and gathering," Lin quoted Tsai as saying. "If the anti-subversion law is enacted, it only proves that China cannot keep its promise of maintaining the status quo of the special administration for 50 years." Responding to Yu's request, Tsai pledged to evaluate the situation in Hong Kong.
Also see story:
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft