Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng on Monday commented on the recall of Taiwan representatives in Hong Kong necessitated by the Hong Kong government's repeated demands since July 2018 that personnel at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Hong Kong sign documents recognizing the "one-China principle." The spokesperson said that since 2011—when Taipei and Hong Kong agreed on mutually beneficial provisions and established offices in each other's territories—TECO officials stationed in Hong Kong have respected commitments in the provisions, followed local laws, and engaged in activities only within the scope of assigned duties.
However, the government of Hong Kong in recent years has wielded politics to apply pressure, employing all manner of methods to suppress Taiwan's national stature, to the point of obstructing the work of personnel stationed in the territory, said Spokesperson Lo. Recently, the city's government has even demanded that members of Taiwan's private-sector associations in Hong Kong, such as the Taipei Trade Centre Hong Kong, also sign documents recognizing the one-China principle. The government sternly denounced such actions, and said that TECO procedures will be adjusted to maintain necessary operations and protect the rights and interests of citizens.
The Republic of China on Taiwan is an independent, sovereign nation, emphasized Spokesperson Lo. By belittling Taiwan and making the recognition of the one-China principle a precondition for TECO officials in Hong Kong to obtain visas, the Hong Kong government has violated the bilateral provisions agreed to in 2011, and the government rejects this absolutely. This unreasonable demand is also unacceptable to the people of Taiwan.