Two properties owned by the Taiwanese government in Hong Kong are at risk of being confiscated by the Hong Kong government, a source said on Sunday.
The source said the concerns first arose after seven officials were recalled from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in June, after they refused to sign a pledge to observe Beijing’s “one China” principle.
“Although Beijing has so far not made things difficult for remaining employees at the office, if the Taiwan-Hong Kong relationship worsens further, it is not inconceivable it will confiscate the properties,” the source said. “It would be better to have a plan in place sooner than later.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Beijing has accused Taiwanese officials of involvement in the protests that rocked Hong Kong from 2019 to last year, and therefore it would not be unexpected if it took a further step and seized Taiwanese property in the territory, the source said.
Citing an example of what could happen, the source said that Beijing had initially interfered with the US’ sale of a consulate housing complex in December last year, with the sale only going through two months later after negotiations between Beijing and Washington.
The Taiwanese government owns one property in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong’s Kowloon District, which is being used by the Overseas Chinese Culture and Education Foundation to recruit students for universities in Taiwan.
It also owns one property in Hong Kong’s New Territories, which was set up as a school through funding from the Ministry of Education in 1992, the source said, adding that the Taiwanese government only owns the building, while the land is owned by the Hong Kong Government.
The building, worth NT$400 million (US$14.36 million), is being rented to Hong Kong Baptist University, the source said.
Under New Territories regulations, the Taiwanese government can continue renting the land the building is on until June 30, 2047, the source said.
The Mainland Affairs Council has invited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Property Administration to discuss how to deal with the properties, but there have been disagreements on how to proceed, the source said.
“The Mainland Affairs Council sees the properties as ‘overseas properties,’ but the National Property Administration insists they be treated as domestic properties,” the source said. “The National Property Administration does not want the Ministry of Foreign Affairs involved with the properties.”
Confusion over the issue can be traced back to the handover of Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, after which properties in Hong Kong became the responsibility of the Mainland Affairs Council, the source said.
However, Article 29 of the National Property Act (國有財產法) stipulates that national property in other countries “shall not be disposed of without the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the agreement of the Ministry of Finance.”
The act allows for some exceptions, in which cases the sale or the disposal of the property should be reported to the two ministries.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS