TAIPEI (REUTERS)Taiwan's government urged China on Friday (May 22) to “sincerely start a dialogue” with people in Hong Kong after China proposed new national security legislation for the previous British colony.
Taiwan will be more determined to defend democracy and freedom, and China’s “one country, two systems” proposal to rule the democratic island goes against those principles, Alex Huang, the spokesman of the presidential office, said in a statement.
China uses the system, which is meant to guarantee a high degree of autonomy, to run Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
China regards Taiwan as one of its provinces and has offered the system to it as well, although all the major political parties have rejected it.
China on Friday proposed the new law for Hong Kong, requiring it to quickly enact national security regulations, a move some see as contradicting the “one country, two systems” concept.
In response, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council urged China not to lead Hong Kong into "bigger turmoil" due to wrong policy decisions.
The council said in a statement that China's Communist Party has wrongly blamed external influences and Hong Kong independence "separatists" for the instability in the territory.
China's action could spark fresh protests in Hong Kong, which enjoys several freedoms not allowed on the mainland.
The often violent demonstrations in Hong Kong the previous year plunged the city into its deepest turmoil since it returned to Beijing's rule in 1997.