Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has assured Hong Kong’s people of the island democracy’s support.
She was reacting to a renewed bout of protests in the city, and proposed legislation intended to allow the security forces of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to operate in it. While Hong Kong is a part of the PRC, it retains its own legal and representative system, making it a far more open society.
Taiwan, a de facto independent state but regarded as a rebel region by the PRC, has shown sympathy for the protest movement in Hong Kong. Hong Kong and Taiwan have long-standing (if not strictly official) ties, and small numbers of Hong Kong activists have decamped to Taiwan.
President Tsai wrote on her Facebook page that her country would ‘even more proactively perfect and forge ahead with relevant support work, and provide Hong Kong’s people with necessary assistance’.
It is likely that this stance will further strain ties between Taiwan and the PRC.
For Hong Kong democracy activists, the past year has seen threatening attempts by the PRC government to expand its control of the city, especially in respect of dealing with crime. A law that would have made it possible to deport suspects to the PRC for prosecution sparked a wave of protest in 2019. The proposed security arrangements are seen as a continuation of this agenda.
Those in favour, however, point to the deterioration of security in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Secretary for Security John Lee commented: ‘Terrorism is growing in the city and activities which harm national security, such as “Hong Kong independence”.’