Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.”
Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day.
A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration.
Photo: screen grab from Radio Free Asia’s X account
“Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles.
Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators confronted the couple, warning the man about his behavior.
“Today is to commemorate Hong Kong’s martyrs. We do not celebrate China’s National Day,” it quoted a demonstrator as saying. “We are in Taiwan, and people are free to express their opinion.”
Taiwanese independence advocate Lee Wen-pin (李文賓) and the man reportedly pushed and slapped each other.
“You cannot touch other people’s belongings... We are asking you to leave now,” Lee said, before he called the police.
The man refused to leave and kept saying that “China has sovereignty over Taiwan,” and that “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.”
“Taiwan belongs to Taiwanese, and Hong Kong belongs to Hong Kongers,” the demonstrators said in response.
Later, police officers arrived at the scene and persuaded the couple to leave.
After they left the demonstration continued, joined by activists supporting freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and Southern Mongolia, and Taiwanese independence supporters.
“This should not happen in a free, democratic country. You can speak your mind if you disagree with our views, but he just barged in and started to knock down things and break them,” an event organizer who goes by the name Fu Tong (赴湯) said. “He can return to China if he believes it is fine to live without freedom, but he must not come to Taiwan and try to sabotage our freedom and democracy.”
“This incident showed that Chinese ‘little pinks’ are everywhere, trying to suppress contrary views,” Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong (黃國才) said. “But it is quite unacceptable to see that when the police arrived, the Chinese couple kept shouting that ‘Taiwan belongs to China.’ Taiwanese and Hong Kong exiles must not tolerate this kind of action.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said the couple contravened the Criminal Code’s sections on “offenses against freedom of another person.”
“Therefore, I demand Taipei police crack down on this violation. The couple should be prosecuted,” Wang said. “We must take action to deal with the delusion of some Chinese who believe they have jurisdiction over Taiwan.”
Separately, DPP Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) criticized what she called the police officers’ inaction and allowing the couple to just walk away.
“This would encourage Chinese visitors to ignore Taiwan’s police and legal authorities. It is wrong,” she said.
“These people made provocative attempts against Taiwan’s democracy and rule of law, and contravened the Criminal Code,” she said. “Taipei police must investigate this incident and prosecute the offenders.”
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although