DATE=8/11/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=HONG KONG / TAIWAN (L-O)
NUMBER=2-252677
BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A former senior Taiwan official for China
affairs has been barred from coming to Hong Kong to
attend an academic conference. Hong Kong
Correspondent Chris Simkins reports the action is
apparently another illustration of how the territory
has been caught in the growing political tensions
between China and Taiwan.
TEXT: The Hong Kong government would not comment on
why it rejected the visa request by Chang king-yuh,
Taiwan's former top official for China affairs. Mr.
Chang had been invited to give a speech Thursday on
reunification of Taiwan and China at Hong Kong
University.
A spokesman for the Immigration Department would only
say the visa denial was for this trip request and does
not mean that Mr. Chang would not be given a visa in
the future. While Hong Kong has been granted autonomy
from Beijing in economic and social affairs, foreign
affairs are under China's control. It is widely
believed Chinese officials ordered Hong Kong to bar
Mr. Chang.
In May Mr. Chang was granted permission to visit Hong
Kong for a personal visit, even though he was a
cabinet official in Taiwan at the time.
But Political Science Professor Tim Wong at Hong Kong
Chinese University notes that was before Taiwan
President Lee Teng-Hui's surprise announcement that
future cross-strait relations will be handled on a
State-to-State basis. Mr. Wong says the atmosphere is
different now and the Chang incident illustrates how
Hong Kong is getting caught up in the escalating
political wrangling between Taiwan and China.
/// Wong Act ///
I think this will happen all the time when the
political relations are not good across the
Taiwan Strait. After the return of Hong Kong to
mainland China, Hong Kong is only a S-A-R
(Special Administrative Region) of the P-R-C
(People's Republic of China) so the S-A-R
government when they take up action on Taiwan
they now have to consider the feelings of the
central government in Beijing. I think now that
is a very normal course of action.
/// End Act ///
Other analysts say the rejection of Mr. Chang's entry
into Hong Kong shows China is tightening the screws
diplomatically on Taiwan. It comes two-days after it
was revealed that China had rejected Pope John Paul's
request to visit Hong Kong in November. The Vatican
has diplomatic relations with Taipei and not Beijing.
Despite the visa rejections, Taipei is still allowed
to station de-facto diplomats in Hong Kong and to
operate a visa office in the territory. Analysts
believe these operations are not likely to be affected
by the growing cross-strait tensions, because Hong
Kong continues to be a crucial channel for Taiwanese
trade, travel, and investment in China. (Signed)
NEB/CS/FC/RAE
11-Aug-1999 07:35 AM EDT (11-Aug-1999 1135 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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