Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council held a forum on ROC relations with Hong Kong and Macau Dec. 27 as part of a series of activities marking the council’s 20th anniversary.
“Taiwan’s mutual ties with the two mainland Chinese special administrative regions are moving in a positive direction,” said James Chu, director of the MAC’s Department of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs.
Chu made the remarks during his opening speech at the forum.
The official name and function of Taiwan’s representative office in Hong Kong was addressed by Chu, who expressed hope that Hong Kong’s government would face the issue without bias.
“The governments of both regions should adopt an active and practical attitude to allow relations to move forward in an even healthier and more positive direction,” Chu said.
Echoing Chu’s stance, former MAC Vice Chairman Cheng An-kuo said that allowing Taiwan’s representative office in Hong Kong—Chung Hwa Travel Service—to change its name would be an important step forward in normalizing relations between the two sides.
“This issue involves the representative office’s name and official functions,” Cheng said, adding that the office is not a travel agency as implied by its current title.
Academics attending the forum said another move that would reflect improvements in bilateral ties includes the granting of visa-free entry to ROC nationals visiting Hong Kong.
Several forum participants said that while Hong Kong and Macau’s intermediary role could be weakened as a result of warming ties between Taipei and Beijing, there are still ample opportunities for bolstering cooperation.
“These range from cultural and creative industries to education, civic organizations and city-to-city exchanges,” they said. (SB)