An amendment to the Act Governing Relations With Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例) proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) aims to protect “good” Hong Kongers, not those engaged in violence or terrorism, KMT Mainland Affairs Department director Tso Chen-dong (左正東) said yesterday.
As freedom of speech is already enshrined in the Constitution, the proposed amendment would only provide general guidelines when vetting Hong Kongers seeking asylum, Tso said, adding that it would sift out Hong Kongers who have a history of violence or have engaged in terrorism.
Political leaning should not be a criterion when checking the backgrounds of Hong Kongers seeking asylum in the Republic of China (ROC), as that is part of their freedom of speech and is different from violent behavior or participation in terrorist activities, he said.
Photo: Bloomberg
However, Kong Kong independence is a nonissue, as the Constitution states that Hong Kong is a part of the ROC, Tso said, adding that even Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) has claimed that he is not a proponent of the idea.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and Hong Kong residents’ freedom of speech should be protected through asylum, hence the proposal, Tso said.
Asked whether granting pro-Hong Kong independence advocates asylum would negatively affect cross-strait relations, one KMT member speaking on condition of anonymity said that it could be doing Beijing a favor by solving its problem.
“Beijing would be pleased,” the member said, adding that the proposed amendment should not include any discriminatory clauses that would deny asylum to Hong Kongers with certain political leanings.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not