The PRC government may in the future apply its proposed anti-subversion law in Hong Kong to stop covert activities of Taiwan's official agencies, over which there has been a tacit agreement for decades between the governments of Hong Kong and Taiwan, a national security official said.
World attention has focused on how the anti-subversion legislation -- or the societies ordinance, imposed as an obligation by Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law -- would sabotage the territory's residents' freedom of speech, especially after the public demonstrations in the city a month ago, the official said.
"But what concerns the government most is whether China would try to limit our activities in Hong Kong by applying the ordinance," he said.
Like other nations, Taiwan has a representative office in Hong Kong, under the administration of the Mainland Affairs Council and with the official name "Hong Kong Affairs Bureau" (HKAB).
However, because of the sensitive relationship between China and Taiwan, the bureau has been operating under the name of "Chung Hwa Travel Service Hong Kong."
"There has been a tacit agreement on this for years between Hong Kong and Taiwan, and it works very well," the official said.
However, things may change when the bill becomes law.
"The original article prohibits any connection between local Hong Kong political associations and foreign political organizations. And in the amendment, Taiwanese organizations have been included," he said.
According to the proposed ordinance, "connection" is defined as financial support, an affiliation, policy determination or control in decision-making processes.
The police or other Hong Kong government agencies may refuse or cancel the registration of a local political body, if they think it is connected to foreign organizations after consultation with the secretary for security. Officers may otherwise recommend to the security secretary that the workings of the body be prohibited, according to the proposed ordinance.
"Here comes the problem. The HKAB is not only a travel agency. It is also responsible for press releases, information gathering and it has connections with local academics and societies," the official said.
"The PRC government can prohibit our activities, which to its mind are illegal, through the Hong Kong government, by applying the ordinance," he said.
The deterrent effect of the proposed legislation would also decrease the incentives for Hong Kong residents or organizations to have contact with us, the official said, and this would affect our influence and information gathering in Hong Kong.
The other thing to worry about is the rights of tens of thousands of Taiwanese who reside in Hong Kong, the official said.
The proposed ordinance stipulates that a "Chinese national" would commit treason if he or she intends to overthrow or intimidate the central government of the PRC, or if he or she compels the PRC government to change its policies or measures. The crime is punishable by life imprisonment.
"The problem is, is a Taiwanese a Chinese national?" the official said.
"After the civil war ended in 1949, the nations on either side of the Taiwan Strait split into two political entities, according to the ROC Constitution ? it is a very thorny issue," he said.
"There are people who annually celebrate Double Ten Day in Hong Kong and in Taiwan. These persons are in danger of being arrested for supporting Taiwan," he said.
According to a weekly report by the Mainland Affairs Counsel, the government has expressed its concern to the Hong Kong government, but the latter refused to comment.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS