Taiwan calls China's one country, two systems 'facade'

The Taipei government has termed China's "one country and two systems" as a facade, stating that it is really intended to annexe Taiwan.

This comes after the Taiwan government recalled seven representative officials from Hong Kong, citing "unreasonable political preconditions".

According to the concept of "one country, two systems", two systems will be practiced within the sovereign state of the People's Republic of China.

During a TV interview, Chiu Chui-cheng, the Deputy Minister of Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council, said the Hong Kong government was reassuring Taiwan's representative offices in Hong Kong and Macau to sign a "one China" commitment letter, Taiwan News reported.

This would have given validity to Beijing's "one China" principle, which Taiwan would never accept, he said.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Chiu also pointed out that the Hong Kong government did not require other foreign embassies to sign such a document.

Seven staff members flew out of Hong Kong last month and just one Taiwanese employee is left in the office.

"Our staff in Hong Kong did not break any local laws or regulations while carrying out their duties," Chiu said, adding that the Taiwan office will remain open with the help of 50 local staff members.

The Deputy Minister also said that he hopes Taiwan will become the new home for Hongkongers as Beijing tightens its control over the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The diplomatic tensions between Hong Kong and Taiwan are rising in the last few months. Hong Kong and Macau closed their trade offices in Taipei and Beijing seeks to pile diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan.

(ANI)

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