The Chinese government’s proposed national security law for Hong Kong could jeopardize the right to personal freedom of Taiwanese in the region, National Security Council (NSC) Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday.
China’s National People’s Congress on Friday last week unveiled a proposal to enact a Hong Kong security law.
The proposed “enforcement mechanisms,” which are expected to ban treason, subversion and sedition, are being introduced in response to last year’s pro-democracy protests in the territory.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
If Beijing passes the controversial law, it would have broken its promise to respect the territory’s autonomy under its “one country, two systems” model, Tsai said in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴) at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee in Taipei.
The council is concerned that the law could affect the personal freedom of Taiwanese, such as businesspeople or workers at non-governmental organizations, when they engage in interviews or other exchanges in the region, Tsai said.
The legislation would overturn the special status — both legally and politically — that China has assigned to Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region, he said.
Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) whether the proposed law would impact Hong Kong’s financial markets and lead to capital flowing to Taiwan, Tsai said that it could have that effect.
As investors are based in the territory due to its special status, passage of the proposed legislation could result in the flight of foreign capital, as well as talent, Tsai said, adding that the council would pay close attention to developments.
The council would also need to review whether capital investments from Hong Kong would need to be redefined as Chinese capital, Tsai said in response to a query from DPP Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜).
Wu urged the government to respond with caution to the proposed law — which would give the Hong Kong government the power to detain or incarcerate individuals on subversion or “other unwarranted charges” — to safeguard the rights of Taiwanese in the territory.
Beijing has never given up on annexing Taiwan, she said, adding that it has waged several “wars” against the nation, including “public opinion and legal warfare.”
Taiwan every month is subject to about 30 million cyberattacks likely orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party, and although the interception rate is as high as 99.99 percent, the 0.01 percent not intercepted could be a loophole, she said, citing Executive Yuan data.
From the increasing and intensified number of cyberattacks on Taiwan, it is clear that Beijing has created a “nationwide cyberarmy,” Tsai said.
The council would stay abreast of cybersecurity developments in Taiwan and other nations to ensure the best defensive policies are implemented when required, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS