Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) yesterday denied allegations from foreign media that Taiwan has closed its doors to refugees fleeing persecution in Hong Kong.
Media reports saying that Taiwan refuses to naturalize or grant residency to Hong Kongers for being born in China is “untruthful,” Chiu told a news conference in Taipei.
His remark came after the Washington Post last week reported that Taiwan’s immigration authorities cite ties with China to deny residence to Hong Kongers, resulting in many of them leaving Taiwan.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
Deutsche Welle the same day reported that many Hong Kong exiles living in Taiwan fear being deported because their alien resident status is insecure.
Chiu said that the most common reason for Hong Kongers to be denied residency is making undishonest claims about investing in Taiwan, followed by failing to pass a national security assessment.
False financial claims are related to a requirement that immigrants from Hong Kong have investments in Taiwan, he said, adding that shell corporations are often created to back untrue claims.
Being born in China or being a former member of the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Liberation Army pose national security risks that can negatively affect an application, he said.
However, immigration officials do not reject an applicant as a matter of policy; only if multiple risk factors are identified in the background check, he said.
“Media reports alleging that applications were denied due to these reasons were based on untruthful information,” he said.
Regarding the concerns of Hong Kongers that they could lose their residency status due to joblessness or the expiration of their passport, Chiu said that they should register with the Taiwan-Hong Kong Exchange Services Office.
The office provides assistance in matters of education, employment and healthcare, and officials have worked hard to ensure that these services are available to those in need, he said, adding that immigrants have nothing to fear.
However, when asked to comment on the number of Hong Kongers who have ties to China and have been granted residency, Chiu said that he was not prepared to answer before consulting records.
“Such questions should be directed to the agency in charge, which is the National Immigration Agency,” he said.
The government is committed to helping Hong Kongers on the condition that Taiwan’s national security is not compromised, he said, adding that policies are continually being reviewed and improved.
Yesterday marked the third anniversary of protests against a proposed extradition law in Hong Kong, he said, before reiterating the government’s support for freedoms in the territory.
“Taiwan joins the world in expressing concern for the erosion of freedom, democracy and rule of law in Hong Kong,” he added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS