Even China-friend KMT warns of potential impact on cross-strait relations with passage of Hong Kong security legislation

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/25
By: Sylvia Teng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Political parties across the spectrum in Taiwan have expressed concerns over Beijing’s proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong, which many fear would further undermine the city’s already shrinking autonomy.

The ruling and independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) issued a statement the day after Chinese officials announced on Thursday (May 21) the plan to draft a national security law for the semi-autonomous territory while circumventing the Hong Kong government and regular legislative procedures. The proposed legislation, which is likely to proscribe secession, sedition, terrorist activities, and foreign inference, appears to take aim at the pro-democracy protest movement that had roiled Hong Kong for much of the past year.

The DPP strongly condemned the Chinese government's move that will “further trample over Hong Kong’s rule of law and freedoms,” said the party via a statement. The party also said that "one country, two systems,” a political arrangement that has guaranteed autonomy for Hong Kong and kept the city different from the rest of China, will come to an end with the passage of the proposed legislation.

"We urge the Chinese authorities…to stop sabotaging Hong Kong’s autonomy and Hong Kong’s future…and to start a dialogue with the Hong Kong people,” said the ruling party. It also pledged to protect the democratic way of life in Taiwan while standing in solidarity with the Hong Kong people.    [FULL  STORY]