Taiwan warns of countermeasures if new HK law causes 'damage'

Taipei

TAIWAN'S President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday warned of "countermeasures" should a sweeping security law China imposed on Hong Kong "damage" the island.

The new law has sent chills through self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if necessary.

Beijing has taken an especially hardline towards Taiwan ever since the 2016 election of Ms Tsai because she regards the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of "one China."

Taiwan's government has condemned Beijing's security law, which claims global jurisdiction and demands foreign and Taiwanese political organisations provide information on their Hong Kong-related activities or risk criminal penalty and fine.

"If the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong were to cause any damage to our country or cause any irrational situation, we would consider countermeasures," Ms Tsai told reporters without elaborating.

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She added that Taiwan was "closely monitoring the execution of the national security law".

Since 2016 Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the island.

Nonetheless Ms Tsai won a landslide reelection in January and has remained a staunch critic of Beijing's clampdown against Hong Kong protesters.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top China policy body, on Tuesday warned Beijing and Hong Kong governments not to "violate the rights" of Taiwanese groups and institutions in the city.

"The Hong Kong side should ensure that our institutions in Hong Kong will not suffer from any political interferences," it said in a statement. AFP