As unrest in Hong Kong continues, some in the territory are looking to the less expensive rents, leafy green streets and relative political shelter of Taiwan as a safe haven.
The number of people moving to Taiwan from Hong Kong has risen rapidly — up 28 percent over the first seven months of this year compared with a year earlier — fueled in the past few months by anti-government protests that have swept the former British colony amid fear its autonomy from Beijing is being eroded.
Upwardly mobile entrepreneurs, salespeople and managers have said they are attracted by a better quality of life in the democratically run Taiwan — including cheaper property prices, business opportunities and a safer living environment.
Hong Kong’s violence has increased in the past few weeks as police and protesters clash and demonstrations spread across the territory, including sit-ins that paralyzed its international airport for two straight days last week.
China has doubled down on support for Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) amid fears it will send in its army to restore order, and the territory’s economy has begun feeling the toll of 11 straight weeks of rallies.
With no end in sight, some residents are looking for a way to leave.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been vocal in her support for Hong Kong’s protesters in their pursuit of greater democracy.
Tsai is up for re-election in January and has seen her support ratings rebound since the movement began, as Taiwanese voters recoil at the scenes unfolding in Hong Kong.
“I want to move to Taiwan because Hong Kong is in a period of white terror and ruled by the police, which scares me,“ said 37-year-old retail salesperson Steven Chen, a Hong Konger who said he was working to move to Taiwan. “I saw no future for the city when it returned to China some 20 years ago, but now it’s dangerous to live in, as the police are not protecting people.”
Chen said he was borrowing money from friends and family to come up with the NT$6 million (US$191,375) Hong Kong residents need to apply for residency through a Taiwanese government investment scheme.
He has joined every protest since July 1 in support of Hong Kong’s protesters, including one in which he was almost hit by a rubber bullet, Chen said, adding that he sees his life as being in danger.
Dozens of Hong Kong protesters involved in last month’s ransacking of the Legislative Council havearrived in Taiwan to seek asylum, the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported.
They were preceded by prominent advocate and bookseller Lam Wing-kei (林榮基), who fled to Taiwan over the extradition legislation that sparked the protest movement.
New arrivals from Hong Kong accounted for 9.4 percent of all immigration to Taiwan in the first half — almost double last year’s percentage — according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from the National Immigration Agency.
The trend is likely to continue as the Taiwanese government has no caps on relocations from Hong Kong and is open to more of its residents coming.
“We welcome them,” Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said, adding that applications from Hong Kong have risen at least 30 percent in the past few weeks.
In a survey late last year by the Chinese University of Hong Kong — before the protests started — Taiwan ranked as the third most-popular destination for Hong Kongers planning to move overseas, after Canada and Australia.
Norris Lo is another Hong Konger attracted by what Taiwan has to offer.
She and her husband plan to open a pastry shop in Taichung next year. After considering countries like Australia and New Zealand, they opted for Taiwan due to its affordability.
“We want to open a small store of our own, and it’s impossible to do so in Hong Kong,” the 34-year-old pastry teacher said.
She also cited the territory’s soaring cost of living and densely packed environment.
“We don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “If we could see a better future in the next 10 or 20 years, we would be willing to wait, but we don’t see it.”
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
DEFENDING FREEDOM: Taiwanese love peace and helping others, and hope to be a positive force in the world, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim told ‘Weltspiegel’ Taiwan is making every effort to prevent war in the face of China’s hybrid coercion tactics and military threats, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD’s program Weltspiegel that aired on Monday. Taiwan is not seeking provocation or intending to disrupt international order, but “must possess the capacity for self-defense,” a news release issued by the Presidential Office yesterday quoted her as saying. Taiwan is closely watching not only the increasing scope and frequency of Chinese military exercises around the nation, but also Beijing’s hybrid and cognitive warfare tactics, including manipulating public opinion, fostering
RSS