The government supports Hong Kong protesters in their pursuit of democracy and freedom, but would not intervene, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, urging the territory’s authorities not to cause “regrets” by refusing to start a dialogue with residents.
At a regular news conference in Taipei, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) reaffirmed the nation’s support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
She had been asked about a joint declaration on Monday by G7 leaders at the end of their summit in Biarritz, France, in which they reaffirmed the existence and importance of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong signed in 1984 and called for violence to be avoided.
Taiwan is concerned about developments in Hong Kong and supports its people in pursuing democracy and freedom, but it would not intervene, Ou said.
Hong Kong authorities should respond to public expectations and help society resume its stability and normal operations, she said.
She called on Beijing and Hong Kong authorities not to shift blame for the territory’s worsening situation to what they have called “outside forces,” which do not exist.
The authorities should neither refuse to start a dialogue with people nor make a wrong judgement, otherwise they might leave some regrets in history, Ou said.
The Chinese government yesterday voiced “strong dissatisfaction” with the G7’s comments.
“We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the statement made by the leaders of the G7 summit on Hong Kong affairs,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) told a news conference in Beijing. “We have repeatedly stressed that Hong Kong’s affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and that no foreign government, organization or individual has the right to intervene.”
Source: Taipei Times - 2019/08/28
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