Taiwan announces to set up dedicated office for people fleeing Hong Kong

Taiwan announced that it will set up an office dedicated to providing assistance to Hong Kongers fleeing China’s semi-autonomous region in the wake of national security law. Taiwan’s China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the "Taiwan-Hong Kong Service Exchange Office" will officially start operating from July 1, the same day Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under “One Country, Two Systems” formula.

The MAC said that the office will provide advisory services for Hong Kong residents to want to move to Taiwan for school, employment, investment and entrepreneurship, immigration and settlement. However, it also added that it will focus on “pragmatic handling of humanitarian assistance and care” for Hong Kong citizens.

According to the Council, the office has been established under the existing platform for promoting exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong - "Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Cooperation Promotion Association". It emphasised that the implementation of the project fully demonstrates the government’s support for the protection of democracy, freedom and human rights of people living in Hong Kong.

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Threat to revoke special status

Earlier, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said that the proposed legislation may prompt the self-governing island republic to revoke the special status it has extended to Hong Kong. In a Facebook post, Ing-wen raised concerns regarding the latest development vis-a-vis the autonomy of Hong Kong. 

As per the current rules related to Hong Kong, the residents of the semi-autonomous region get easier access to the island republic and can invest much more easily than mainland Chinese. She said that the act laying out those rules could be revoked if there is a “change in situation”.

“We hope the situation in Hong Kong does not get to this stage and will pay close attention to developments, and take necessary corresponding measures in a timely way,” she added.

The Taiwanese President had said that her country would provide Hong Kong with “necessary assistance” as Taiwan has become a refuge for pro-democracy protesters fleeing persecution in Hong Kong. She opined that the core values of democratic freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong will be severely eroded if the national security law gets implemented.

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