CHINA-HONGKONG: TAIWAN "TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS" ITS OFFICE IN HONGKONG

The South China Morning Post (May 18) disclosed that Taiwan has "temporarily" suspended operations in Hongkong in what Taipei called a regrettable unilateral move that went against the established convention. The SCMP quoted sources as saying the decision to close the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (Taiwan) with immediate effect was made in the early hours of May 18 by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, which is in charge of the relationship between the city and the self-ruled island. The SCMP added that the employment contracts of local staff at the Taipei office were terminated with immediate effect. The names and contact details of all officers with the office have been deleted from the Hong Kong government’s online directory. The closure comes two months after Stella Poon Wai-sum, general manager of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Taiwan office, announced she was leaving her post at the end of March citing “personal career development”. She decided to remain in Taiwan after leaving her position. The office opened in December 2011 with the primary role of promoting business and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Hsiao Tu-huan, a researcher at the Centre for Cross-Strait Relations at Tamkang University said the Macau government could follow suit by closing its own office on the island. 





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