Taiwan authorities urged to refrain from irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong protests

Taiwan authorities should not make irresponsible remarks on the Occupy Central activities in Hong Kong, a spokeswoman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office warned on Wednesday during a routine news conference. The current peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations are hard-earned, she added, and these achievements should be cherished by both sides.

"Taiwan should do more to promote peace and development cross-Straits, but not be counterproductive to efforts," Fan Liqing said.

Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwan leader, showed his support for the Occupy Central protesters in Hong Kong during a speech on October 10, and Fan reaffirmed strong objection during the news conference.

"Chinese mainland and Taiwan chose different political development roads. We showed respect to Taiwan people' choices of the current social system and living style. And we do not want to judge whether their choices are suitable for Taiwan's political stability and economic development or not," she said.

"We also hope Taiwan authorities can do the same and show the respect of the choices of some 1.3 billion people of the Chinese mainland," she added.

She said the decisions that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has made on Hong Kong is based on the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR government and conformed to the principle of developing a democracy system based on Hong Kong's reality.

According to Fan, the recent Occupy Central activities have seriously interfered with Hong Kong's social order, economic development and law, and such behavior has provoked disapproval and criticism from a growing number of Hong Kong citizens.

"It will be a big progress for Hong Kong's political reform that the chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR government will be selected through general election. Hong Kong's questions do not need Taiwan authorities to make irresponsible remarks," she said.