TAIPEI – Taiwan’s president rejected a “one country, two systems” formula – Beijing suggested could be used to unify the island and the mainland – saying such an arrangement had set Hong Kong “on the edge of disorder.”
President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday vowed to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty, saying her government would safeguard freedom and democracy as Beijing ramps up pressure on the self-ruled island it considers a “wayward province.”
Tsai, who is seeking re-election on January amid criticism of her policy towards China, referred to the arrangement for the return of former British colony of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997 as “a failure.”
Anti-government protests hit Hong Kong in months due to what residents see as Beijing’s relentless efforts to exert control of their city despite promises of autonomy.
China proposed that Taiwan be brought under Chinese rule under a similar arrangement, but Tsai said Beijing’s policies towards the island were a danger to regional stability.(Reuters)
