TAIPEI: Taiwan will provide the people of Hong Kong with "necessary assistance", President Tsai Ing-wen said, after a resurgence in protests in the city against newly proposed national security legislation from Beijing.
Taiwan has become a refuge for a small but growing number of protesters fleeing Hong Kong, which has been convulsed since last year by protests.
Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of people who rallied on Sunday (May 24) to protest against Beijing's plan to impose national security laws on the city.
Writing on her Facebook page late on Sunday, Tsai said the proposed legislation was a serious threat to Hong Kong's freedoms and judicial independence.
Bullets and repression are not the way to deal with the aspirations of Hong Kong's people for freedom and democracy, she added.
"In face of the changing situation, the international community has proactively stretched out a helping hand to Hong Kong's people," Tsai wrote.
Taiwan will "even more proactively perfect and forge ahead with relevant support work, and provide Hong Kong's people with necessary assistance", she wrote.
Taiwan has no law on refugees that could be applied to Hong Kong protesters who seek asylum on the island. Its laws do promise, though, to help Hong Kong citizens whose safety and liberty are threatened for political reasons.
The Hong Kong protests have won widespread sympathy in Taiwan, and the support for the protesters by Tsai and her administration have worsened already poor ties between Taipei and Beijing.
China has accused supporters of Taiwan independence of colluding with the protesters.
China believes Tsai to be a "separatist" bent on declaring the island's formal independence. Tsai says Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China.
WASHINGTON: A top White House aide renewed a warning on Sunday (May 24) that the US might revoke Hong Kong's special trading privileges if China enacts a tough new security law covering the territory.
The warning from national security advisor Robert O'Brien came amid soaring tensions between Washington and Beijing, and only hours after China's foreign minister Wang Yi warned that the two countries seemed poised "at the brink of a new Cold War".
Referring to Beijing's 1984 agreement to grant Hong Kong, a former British colony, substantial autonomy through 2047, O'Brien told CBS's Face the Nation that "it looks like they're violating that agreement".
"I can't see how Hong Kong remains an Asian financial centre if the Chinese Communist Party goes through and implements its national security law and takes over Hong Kong," he said.
"That'd be a tragedy for the people of Hong Kong and it would also be very bad for China."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said Friday that the proposed law - which China's rubber-stamp legislature is expected to act on quickly - would be a "death knell for the high degree of autonomy Beijing promised for Hong Kong".
He said that China's continued respect for Hong Kong's democratic institutions and civil liberties was "key to preserving its special status under US law".
Wang said Sunday that China's relations with the United States were "on the brink of a new Cold War", fuelled partly by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 350,000 people worldwide and pitched the global economy into a massive downturn.
Washington and Beijing have jousted sharply over blame for the coronavirus pandemic, and over the role of the World Health Organization.
Washington seemed infected by a "political virus", said Wang, but added that Beijing would nevertheless be open to an international effort to find the coronavirus source.
"Some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War," Wang said.
A US law passed last year requires the secretary of state to certify each year that Hong Kong remains largely autonomous; absent that, the territory risks losing trade privileges not enjoyed by mainland China.
The new Chinese law would enforce punishment for "subversion, treason and sedition" in the city, which would allow Beijing to crack down on protesters and dissidents.
Hong Kong was swept by massive and occasionally violent protests last year, and thousands gathered there Sunday to protest the proposed law, facing off with police.
Hong Kong residents enjoy rights - including freedom of speech - unseen on the mainland, and the city has its own legal system and trade status.
SINGAPORE: Two hundred thousand foreign workers living in purpose-built dormitories were treated to a special lunch to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri on Sunday (May 24), said the Ministry of Manpower on Sunday.
The initiative was organised by the Inter-agency Task Force, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry "to bring festive cheer to our migrant workers", said MOM in a press release.
Workers in 58 locations - including purpose-built dormitories, factory-converted dormitories and construction temporary quarters - were also given Hari Raya cookies.
The cookies were prepared by five central kitchens, with the help of 15 home-based bakers.
About 200,000 workers living in purpose-built dormitories were treated to a special lunch menu, such as mutton biryani or chicken chop rice. (Photo: Singapore Ministry of Manpower)
Workers in 58 locations - including purpose-built dormitories, factory-converted dormitories and construction temporary quarters - were also gifted with Hari Raya cookies. (Photo: Singapore Ministry of Manpower)
"In addition to bringing some festive cheer, the initiative also helped support our home-based bakers during this period," said MOM.
The initiative was partially funded by donations from the community through the mosques as well as 16 organisations.
Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who visited Woodlands Dormitory to distribute the special meals and festive cookies, said he was "heartened" to see how the foreign workers in Singapore have "adapted and adjusted to how they can practise their religious duties in a different form" during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Singapore has reported 31,616 COVID-19 cases to date, with the majority linked to migrant worker dormitories. Twenty-three patients have died from complications arising from COVID-19 infection.
Singapore has been in a "circuit breaker" mode since Apr 7 to stem the spread of the outbreak.
Measures have been taken to control the situation at the dormitories, including extensive testing and limiting foreign workers' movements to within the dormitories.
The foreign workers have had a challanging Ramadan in the dorms over the last month, said MUIS CEO Esa Masood.
"We hope that this brings a little bit of joy to them and an important signal that Singapore did not forget them during this celebration," he added.
But while the top Chinese diplomat hit back at the US politicians who were pushing the two sides to "the brink of a new Cold War" at the risk of reversing decades of cooperation, he also struck a conciliatory tone at times, urging the Americans to cooperate with China.
"This political virus is spreading in the US, and jumping at any opportunity to attack and slander China. Some politicians ignore the basic facts and make up countless lies and conspiracy theories against China," Mr Wang said.
Mr Wang was speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of China's annual legislative meetings in Beijing, where Covid-19 and Sino-US ties were key areas of focus.
US President Donald Trump and other American officials have accused Beijing of mishandling the outbreak, suggesting that it had emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan and demanded a probe into the origins of the virus.
While China is open to cooperating with the international community to look into the origins of Covid-19, such an investigation should not be politicised, said Mr Wang.
He also said lawsuits launched in the US trying to seek compensation from China over damages from Covid-19 have "zero basis in fact, law or international precedence".
"If anybody thought they could use some ludicrous lawsuits to undermine China's sovereignty and dignity, or deprive the Chinese people of their hard won gains, they are daydreaming and bringing disgrace to themselves," he said.
On Taiwan, with which Washington recently upgraded relations, Mr Wang warned the US not to challenge China's "red line".
But despite his criticism of the US, Mr Wang also urged both sides to "communicate and coordinate our macro policies to mitigate the impact of Covid-19" on the global economy.
Both superpowers must find a way to coexist peacefully despite their differences, he said, noting: "It's also true that we have many disagreements but that doesn't preclude cooperation."
Experts say Mr Wang's comments contrast starkly to the bellicose and confrontational remarks made recently by Chinese "wolf warrior" diplomats - so named after a pair of patriotic blockbuster films.
Asked about this, Mr Wang said China's diplomats "have principles and guts" and will push back against any insult and defend the country's honour and dignity.
Foreign policy experts both within and outside China have criticised these diplomats, pointing out that the aggressive attitude has only served to strain ties further with the US and affected Beijing's international image.
Associate Professor Li Mingjiang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said Mr Wang demonstrated some restraint and made an effort not to antagonise the bilateral relationship further.
"There was some intent to balance his comments. While he was critical of the US, he was also urging decision makers in Washington to be rational and cooperate with China," he added.
Mr Adam Ni, director of the China Policy Centre in Australia, said the "wolf warrior diplomacy" goes hand in hand with Mr Wang's more conciliatory approach.
"It's kind of a microcosm in where we are in the world in terms of great power competition between the US and China, there is imperative to compete as well as cooperate," he said.
Mr Wang also highlighted China's international aid on Covid-19 and its efforts to build ties with countries in the region and beyond, including Asean.
"China will continue to view Asean as a high priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and support Asean centrality in East Asian cooperation," he said, adding that Beijing was in discussions to resume talks with Asean on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
HONG KONG: More than 100 people were arrested and police fired tear gas and pepper spray on Sunday (May 24) after thousands of Hong Kong protesters gathered in opposition to a controversial security law proposed by China last week.
As the demonstrators and police faced off in Hong Kong, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi insisted in Beijing that the proposed law must be imposed "without the slightest delay".
The planned legislation - expected to ban treason, subversion and sedition - and comes after Hong Kong was shaken last year by months of massive, often-violent protests, and repeated warnings from Beijing that it would not tolerate dissent.
With campaigners warning the proposal could spell the end of the city's treasured freedoms, thousands gathered in the busy Causeway Bay and Wan Chai districts, chanting slogans, as some masked protesters set up makeshift barricades to stop police vehicles.
"People may be criminalised only for words they say or publish opposing the government," 25-year-old protester Vincent told AFP.
"I think Hongkongers are very frustrated because we didn't expect this to come so fast and so rough. But ... we won't be as naive as to believe that Beijing will simply sit back and do nothing. Things will only get worse here."
Police quickly fired teargas to disperse the crowd, catching everyone by surprise. Protestors had just blocked off Hennessy Road trying to push towards Wanchai. pic.twitter.com/A4JZcoFd7w
Protestors lingering in CWB. Chants restarting. Because of universal mask wearing, it’s hard to distinguish protestors from passersby. Here, water cannon seen between CWB and Wanchai. 2 officers sitting atop armored vehicle holding teargas/rubber bullet guns. pic.twitter.com/dPGtScJQ2f
Riot police were deployed after earlier warnings from authorities against unauthorised assembly and the city's current coronavirus-linked law banning public gatherings of more than eight people.
As the number of protesters swelled, police fired tear gas and pepper spray to try and disperse the crowd, and later deployed water cannon and armoured vehicles.
The Hong Kong Police Force said in a Facebook post that at least 120 protesters were arrested for illegal assembly as of 4.30pm.
Protesters had dismantled scaffolding on the roadside in Wan Chai, the Hong Kong government said in a news release.
They also set up barricades with stones, potted plants and umbrellas, and smashed traffic lights on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai.
"Police officers are maintaining law and order at the scene and using the minimum necessary force, including tear gas, to disperse the rioters," it added.
The Hong Kong Police Force said they arrested at least 40 people at around 2.30pm on Sunday. (Photo: Hong Kong Police Force)
The scenes on Sunday were the most intense in months.
They followed a similar pattern to many of last year's demonstrations, with police firing tear gas and pepper spray, and protesters pushing back - some throwing objects such as umbrellas at the police.
Bricks were thrown at police vehicles on Sunday, and the window of the driver's seat in one police car was smashed in, leaving one officer bleeding, according to the Hong Kong police.
Several other police officers and citizens were also injured and had to be sent to the hospital for treatment, the police added.
According to the Hong Kong Police Force, bricks were thrown at police vehicles. (Photo: Hong Kong Police Force)
The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement had previously fizzled as arrests mounted and, later, large gatherings were banned to stop the coronavirus.
More than 8,300 people have been arrested since the protests erupted last year. Around 200 were detained during small rallies at malls on Mother's Day earlier this month.
Police had warned that they would "make arrests as appropriate", and at least one pro-democracy campaigner was detained by police on Sunday at the start of the rally, AFP reporters said.
Pro-democracy protesters are arrested by police in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on May 24, 2020, ahead of planned protests against a proposal to enact new security legislation in Hong Kong. (Photo: AFP/Issac Lawrence)
Hong Kong residents enjoy rights - including freedom of speech - unseen on the mainland as part of the agreement that saw the British colony handed back to China in 1997, and the city has its own legal system and trade status.
Fears had been growing for years that Beijing was chipping away at those freedoms and tightening its control on the city, and campaigners have described the new proposal as the most brazen move yet.
Of particular concern is a provision allowing Chinese security agents to operate in Hong Kong, and that they could launch a crackdown against those dissenting against the mainland's Communist rulers.
Campaigners fear the proposed new law could spell the end of Hong Kong's cherished freedoms. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
"I'm very scared, but I still have to come out," said protester Christy Chan, 23.
"Aside from being peaceful, rational and non-violent, I don't see many ways to send out our messages."
Pro-democracy protesters block roads in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on May 24, 2020, ahead of planned protests against a proposal to enact new security legislation in Hong Kong. (Photo: AFP/Issac Lawrence)
Despite the alarm in Hong Kong and in some Western capitals, Chinese and city officials have insisted the proposed law is needed to prevent unrest and protect national security.
A top pro-Beijing official, however, said on Saturday that mainland law enforcement would not operate in Hong Kong without "approval" from local authorities.
"I'm not worried about anybody being arrested by a police officer from the mainland and then taken back to China for investigation or punishment," Maria Tam, a Hong Kong law advisor to the Chinese parliament, told AFP.
"It is not, not, not going to happen."
Police remove debris from a road that was placed by pro-democracy protesters who were gathered in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on May 24, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Issac Lawrence)
Hong Kong's unpopular pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has defended the new proposal, saying it was necessary to protect national security and punish "violent political elements".
But there is deep mistrust of China's opaque legal system in Hong Kong and of how Beijing might use the proposed regulations in the city.
The massive protests last year were sparked by a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland, and there are fears the new motion would be even more wide-ranging.
The new proposal could prove even more wide-ranging than that plan, and several Western governments have voiced alarm.
China's legislature is expected to sign off on the draft resolution on Thursday, the last day of the annual parliamentary gathering, before the details are fleshed out at another meeting at a later date.
Officials have said the law would then be implemented locally.
But while the top Chinese diplomat hit back at the US politicians who were pushing the two sides to "the brink of a new Cold War" at the risk of reversing decades of cooperation, he also struck a conciliatory tone at times, urging the Americans to cooperate with China.
"This political virus is spreading in the US, and jumping at any opportunity to attack and slander China. Some politicians ignore the basic facts and make up countless lies and conspiracy theories against China," Mr Wang said.
Mr Wang was speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of China's annual legislative meetings in Beijing, where Covid-19 and Sino-US ties were key areas of focus.
US President Donald Trump and other American officials have accused Beijing of mishandling the outbreak, suggesting that it had emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan and demanded a probe into the origins of the virus.
While China is open to cooperating with the international community to look into the origins of Covid-19, such an investigation should not be politicised, said Mr Wang.
He also said lawsuits launched in the US trying to seek compensation from China over damages from Covid-19 have "zero basis in fact, law or international precedence".
"If anybody thought they could use some ludicrous lawsuits to undermine China's sovereignty and dignity, or deprive the Chinese people of their hard won gains, they are daydreaming and bringing disgrace to themselves," he said.
On Taiwan, with which Washington recently upgraded relations, Mr Wang warned the US not to challenge China's "red line".
But despite his criticism of the US, Mr Wang also urged both sides to "communicate and coordinate our macro policies to mitigate the impact of Covid-19" on the global economy.
Both superpowers must find a way to coexist peacefully despite their differences, he said, noting: "It's also true that we have many disagreements but that doesn't preclude cooperation."
Experts say Mr Wang's comments contrast starkly to the bellicose and confrontational remarks made recently by Chinese "wolf warrior" diplomats - so named after a pair of patriotic blockbuster films.
Asked about this, Mr Wang said China's diplomats "have principles and guts" and will push back against any insult and defend the country's honour and dignity.
Foreign policy experts both within and outside China have criticised these diplomats, pointing out that the aggressive attitude has only served to strain ties further with the US and affected Beijing's international image.
Associate Professor Li Mingjiang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said Mr Wang demonstrated some restraint and made an effort not to antagonise the bilateral relationship further.
"There was some intent to balance his comments. While he was critical of the US, he was also urging decision makers in Washington to be rational and cooperate with China," he added.
Mr Adam Ni, director of the China Policy Centre in Australia, said the "wolf warrior diplomacy" goes hand in hand with Mr Wang's more conciliatory approach.
"It's kind of a microcosm in where we are in the world in terms of great power competition between the US and China, there is imperative to compete as well as cooperate," he said.
Mr Wang also highlighted China's international aid on Covid-19 and its efforts to build ties with countries in the region and beyond, including Asean.
"China will continue to view Asean as a high priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and support Asean centrality in East Asian cooperation," he said, adding that Beijing was in discussions to resume talks with Asean on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
