The DPP yesterday warned the public to be wary of the "one country, two systems" formula Beijing has suggested for Taiwan's unification with China, criticizing the communist authorities for trampling on the autonomy of Hong Kong since it imposed the formula on the territory six years ago.
The DPP's Central Standing Committee said Beijing had betrayed its promise to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for 50 years, making the world suspicious about how it could fulfill its promises regarding unification.
"We hope the Taiwanese public can be clear-headed about China's so-called `one country, two systems' myth and its `one China' claim," the party said in a statement.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (
"I was on a blacklist and forbidden to return to Taiwan a decade ago," Lee said. "As a democracy activist, I can totally understand why tens of thousands of Hong Kong people need to take to the streets to protest against Beijing's limiting their freedom."
"The state security law is reminiscent of Taiwan's authoritarian past when the ruling KMT regime blacklisted and persecuted political activists," he said.
Under an anti-subversion law, certain social activities that originated in China could be banned in Hong Kong, Lee said.
"It is such a stark contrast between Hong Kong and Taiwan as here we are talking about a referendum law while in Hong Kong, its people are facing the curtailment of their freedom," Lee said.
Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), Vice Chairman of Mainland Affairs Council, said yesterday that Hong Kong should gradually enhance its interaction with Taiwan.
"At the every moment, Hong Kong should actively express its respect for the interaction between the civil societies of Taiwan and Hong Kong, and further develop its ties based on existing bases and customary practices,"Chen said.
According to Hong Kong correspondents with a New York-based online news agency, Dajiyuan.com, the demonstration was joined by more than one million people.
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