China’s national security legislation for Hong Kong has obliterated the territory’s “one country, two systems” model, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, pledging to continue its support for the people of Hong Kong.
Taiwanese society has a strong faith in the principles of freedom and democracy, which are universal values for peoples worldwide, the party said in a statement.
The statement reiterated a recent statement from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who doubles as the DPP chairperson: “The people of Hong Kong have the right to pursue their own freedom and democracy, and also have the right to choose their own way of life and system of government. In Taiwan’s role as an important fortress for democracy in Asia, we will always support people pursuing these universal values.”
Photo: CNA
The DPP said that by enacting the national security legislation on the eve of the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China, Beijing has “revealed to the world of Chinese government’s hubris and autocratic ways. It has obliterated China’s promise under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its guarantee of ‘one country, two systems’ model for Hong Kong.”
“In the past year, China had ratcheted up pressure on Hong Kong’s people by pushing to approve an extradition bill, a regulation banning the use of masks at protests, a national anthem law and now the national security legislation. All these have thoroughly shattered the ‘one country, two systems’ model,” it added.
“Throughout this period, the DPP has condemned these decisions by the governments of China and Hong Kong, and persistently voiced support for the people of Hong Kong... Our government had implemented a humanitarian aid program to provide concrete assistance,” the statement said.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) said all Taiwanese must guard their personal safety when visiting Hong Kong for holidays, business or other reasons following passage of the national security legislation.
“This legislation directly affects the people of Hong Kong, and it also affects Taiwanese. It can also intrude into the lives of people of other nations around the world,” Lin said.
“We are very concerned on the situation there, and will help our Hong Kong friends through Mainland Affairs Council’s ‘Taiwan-Hong Kong Interaction Office,’ which began operations today,” he said.
“Our future efforts will follow President Tsai Ing-wen’s guidance on implementing a humanitarian aid program for the people of Hong Kong,” he added.
GREATER NUMBER: The sorties might have been a response to the US and the EU expressing concern on Friday over China’s ‘provocations’ in the Taiwan Strait Twenty-five Chinese military aircraft and four naval ships were detected around Taiwan from 6am Saturday to 6am yesterday, including eight airplanes that had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and another two that entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ were a Y-8 anti-submarine plane and a BZK-005 uncrewed aerial vehicle, the Ministry of National Defense said. The aircraft that flew across the median line include two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, four J-16 multipurpose fighters and two J-10 jets, the ministry’s official Web site showed. Taiwan’s armed forces monitored the
The building of a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) plant in Phoenix, Arizona, is expected to lead to the creation of a “Little Taipei” over the coming year, as TSMC employees and related companies move in, a Phoenix-based real-estate agent has said. TSMC is investing US$12 billion to build a wafer plant in northern Phoenix that is scheduled to begin mass production in 2024. The company on Tuesday held a “tool-in” ceremony to mark the installation of the first batch of equipment at the fab. Some TSMC employees have moved into newly constructed apartments in a community 10 minutes’ drive from the
LUNAR NEW YEAR PEAK: Taiwanese who are in China should get vaccinated and consider returning early, as infection rates are expected to increase, the CECC said China faces five major problems once COVID-19 begins spreading there, with a peak in infections likely during the Lunar New Year holidays, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said yesterday. Wang wrote on Facebook that according to the center’s data, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in China is worth noting, as the new Omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2 spreading in China are highly infectious and are more transmissible than the previously dominating Omicron subvariants. “The virus cannot be eliminated even under China’s strict control measures,” he wrote. “Its policy
TWO RISKIEST SPOTS: People living in Taitung County received 20 earthquake alerts over the past 12 months, while Hualien County placed second with 17 alerts Taitung County residents received national earthquake alerts on their mobile phones more frequently over the past year than people in other parts of Taiwan, Central Weather Bureau data showed. Between Nov. 20 last year and Nov. 20, Taitung residents topped other administrative regions with 20 earthquake alerts. They were followed by Hualien County residents who received 17 alerts and Chiayi County residents who received 11, the bureau said. Residents in Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties did not receive a single earthquake alert, it said. The bureau shared the data on Facebook for the first time since the government connected the earthquake warning
RSS