April 1, 2021 – Vice Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council Qiu Chui-zheng: I am deeply saddened by the situation of Hong Kong‘s democrats and the sinking of the situation in Hong Kong.
The government’s deputy chief of staff, Mr. Qiu Chui-zheng, said that the government has been convicted of organizing and participating in an illegal assembly by a Hong Kong court on Thursday, and that Mr. Lai Chi-ying, Mr. Lee Chu-ming, and Ms. Wu Yi-yi are all respected figures who have long been involved in the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
Qiu said: the relevant parties are first depriving them of the right to assemble and march, and now they are criminalized for expressing their demands peacefully and rationally. We are deeply saddened by the plight of Hong Kong’s democrats and the fact that the situation in Hong Kong has sunk to such a dire state today. Our association solemnly condemns all acts of suppression of dissenting views and the destruction of democracy and human rights. Even if those in power try to spread the chilling effect in Hong Kong, they cannot stop the trend of organizing universal values.
Presidential spokesman Zhang Dunhan said that Taiwan will continue to pay attention to the follow-up development, and expressed high regret and condemnation for the Beijing authorities to continue to infringe on democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, and to restrict the right of the people of Hong Kong to assemble and march.
Zhang Dunhan said that he would like to call on the Beijing authorities once again to start a sincere dialogue with the people of Hong Kong in order to resolve the controversies and return calm to Hong Kong society. The democratic Taiwan will continue to support the people of Hong Kong and the universal values of freedom and democracy.
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released the annual report of the Hong Kong Policy Act on the 31st, certifying to the U.S. Congress that Hong Kong’s autonomy does not qualify for special treatment under U.S. law. The media asked Qiu if the Land Commission or the Taiwan authorities would follow the U.S. lead, or if the Land Commission had any plans to amend the Hong Kong and Macau regulations.
Qiu responded that the question of whether Taiwan would adjust its Hong Kong-related laws and regulations involves the government’s policy and positioning towards Hong Kong, and that it would not only consider the overall situation between Hong Kong and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, the actions of the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong government, but also the policy trends of major countries. The Committee will continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and review and study the existing laws and regulations relating to Hong Kong.
Qiu Chuizheng said: “We will assess the necessary countermeasures in due course. In addition to supporting the freedom and democracy of Hong Kong people, the government has taken a number of concrete actions, including: the establishment of the Taiwan-Hong Kong Service Exchange Office, and we continue to refine our approach to humanitarian assistance and care for Hong Kong people in accordance with the established legal norms and public-private partnership. We hope that the system and regulations governing the residence and settlement of Hong Kong people in Taiwan can be adapted to the actual situation in Hong Kong, and that the most practical support and assistance can be provided to Hong Kong people through institutional mechanisms and strengths.
In response to the poor relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong and the expiration of visas for Taiwan’s personnel in Hong Kong, Qiu said that the Chinese Communist Party itself has modified the electoral system in Hong Kong or implemented the National Security Law, which is known to harm the freedom and democracy of the people of Hong Kong, but it has labeled Taiwan indiscriminately and even threatened to punish Taiwan.
I think justice lies in the hearts of the people. We also hope that the relevant parties will stop shirking their responsibilities and discrediting. On the other hand, our institutions in Hong Kong are in accordance with the 2011 consensus on the exchange of letters, the functions performed by our institutions in Hong Kong are in full compliance with the content of these consensus, and are working for the well-being of the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The government of Hong Kong has caused inconvenience to the staff of Taiwan’s offices in Hong Kong in terms of visas, and the Land Commission hopes to see improvements.
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