Hong Kong has granted Taiwan's unofficial representative to the territory a visa after a year-long delay, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC,
Granting of the work permit to Chang Liang-jen (張良任) was the result of joint efforts by authorities in Taiwan and Hong Kong, said Lin Chong-pin (林中斌), MAC vice chairman. "It was a display of goodwill by Hong Kong, and this will have a positive effect on relations," Lin said.
The confirmation followed a report yesterday in The South China Morning Post (南華早報) that said that Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) gave the green light on Friday to Chang Liang-jen to take up his position as head of Taiwan's unofficial representative body -- the Chung Hwa Travel Service (中華旅行社).
An unnamed Hong Kong government source also told the Post that the government had not sought Beijing's advice on the matter.
Government officials in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as staff at Chung Hwa Travel Service, declined to comment on the report earlier yesterday.
Officials at MAC, however, later confirmed that the report was true.
Relations between Hong Kong and Taiwan soured in June, 1999, when Taiwan's former representative Cheng An-kuo (
China continues to put pressure on Taipei to accept the "one China" (
Also, in Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen's (錢其琛) "seven principles" (錢七條), it's clearly stated that while the head of Chung Hwa Travel Service is in Hong Kong, he should abide by the Basic Law -- the mini-constitution that defines the authoriies and powers of the post-colonial administration -- ?and not violate the one China principle.
Chang, 55, was reportedly asked to sign a document denying he represented the Taiwanese government, a requirement Taipei labelled as "impossible."
He has been warned by the Hong Kong government not to deviate from the work of the travel service, which issues visas, the Post said.
Chang, currently deputy secretary-general of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF,
According to Ye Guohua (
Officials at MAC yesterday said that they are glad that both sides can solve the problem in a more practical way.
"This is a win-win situation," MAC officials said yesterday, adding that the Kong Kong government's decision will benefit the relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong.
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