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Wary of China, Taiwan Jumps to Support Hong Kong Protesters

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Not long after street demonstrators massed in Hong
   Kong this week to protest a controversial extradition bill that would
   allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial,
   Taiwan's president, her ruling party and two of her government
   ministries voiced emphatic support for the demonstrators.

   Taiwanese officials, who normally avoid taking sides in political
   issues offshore, back the protest's underlying cause of squelching the
   expansion of rule by China. Beijing gained control of Hong Kong in 1997
   and hopes someday to rule Taiwan the same way, which it calls "one
   country, two systems."

   Officials in Taipei jumped into the Hong Kong fray to show they're in
   tune with China-leery public sentiment at home, especially ahead of
   elections, analysts say.

   "I believe that Taiwanese people, regardless of whether in the majority
   or minority political camps, will feel increasing dissatisfaction
   toward the Chinese government's actions that could be directed at
   Taiwan," said Michael Tsai, chairman of the Institute for Taiwan
   Defense and Strategic Studies in Taiwan.

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