The government supports Hong Kong protesters in their pursuit of democracy and freedom, but would not intervene, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, urging the territory’s authorities not to cause “regrets” by refusing to start a dialogue with residents.
At a regular news conference in Taipei, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) reaffirmed the nation’s support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
She had been asked about a joint declaration on Monday by G7 leaders at the end of their summit in Biarritz, France, in which they reaffirmed the existence and importance of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong signed in 1984 and called for violence to be avoided.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwan is concerned about developments in Hong Kong and supports its people in pursuing democracy and freedom, but it would not intervene, Ou said.
Hong Kong authorities should respond to public expectations and help society resume its stability and normal operations, she said.
She called on Beijing and Hong Kong authorities not to shift blame for the territory’s worsening situation to what they have called “outside forces,” which do not exist.
The authorities should neither refuse to start a dialogue with people nor make a wrong judgement, otherwise they might leave some regrets in history, Ou said.
The Chinese government yesterday voiced “strong dissatisfaction” with the G7’s comments.
“We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the statement made by the leaders of the G7 summit on Hong Kong affairs,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) told a news conference in Beijing. “We have repeatedly stressed that Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and that no foreign government, organization or individual has the right to intervene.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
RSS