The Hong Kong government yesterday issued a working visa to Ping Lu (
Ping, the renowned novelist who was appointed for a second year as one of Taiwan's 12 ambassadors-at-large in January, will be required to relinquish the ambassador position when she finally takes up her position as director of Taiwan's Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center (KHICC, 光華新聞文化中心) in Hong Kong.
The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday welcomed the Hong Kong government's decision.
"We welcome the Hong Kong government's movement on this issue," said Chen Chung-hung (陳崇宏), director of the MAC's Information and Liaison Department. Chen made no reference to the Hong Kong government's delay in issuing the visa.
"We believe that Ping Lu can achieve a lot for Hong Kong-Taiwan exchanges if she is allowed to take her post in Hong Kong," Chen said.
She said yesterday that she was pleased she would finally be able to take up her post.
"[This] proves that culture is always more important and influential than politics," Ping told reporters yesterday.
Although she did not know when she would leave for Hong Kong, Ping said she would try her best to promote cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan.
"There are a lot of misunderstandings between Hong Kong and Taiwan. I believe more cultural exchanges would erase these misunderstandings," Ping said.
"I will introduce more Taiwanese things to people in Hong Kong, and present more Hong Kong information to Taiwanese," she said.
Because of political concerns, the Hong Kong government frequently delays issuing visas to Taiwan's representatives.
In 1999, Cheng An-kuo (
Hong Kong's administration then withheld his work visa at the end of 1999, and the Hong Kong government took 13 months to approve a working visa for Chang Liang-jen (
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