Taiwan lashes out at Hong Kong after officials expelled over 'One China'

Taiwan on Monday criticised Hong Kong over escalating row over Chines claims on Taiwan, prompting it to pull out officials from representative office in the city.

Taiwanese staff working at the island's representative office in Hong Kong started leaving the former British colony on Sunday, after Hong Kong's government demanded that the Taiwan officials sign a document supporting Beijing's "one China" claim to Taiwan.

"Their purpose obviously was to diminish our national dignity and to force our staff to bow to the Beijing authorities," Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council head Chiu Tai-san told reporters.

He said following the "unreasonable" request from Hong Kong's government, Taiwan could no longer send officials to the financial hub and had to withdraw staff whose work visas were about to expire.

"Our government stands firm in guarding national dignity and lodges stern condemnation and a warning to the Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong government," he said.

In a statement to Reuters, Hong Kong government said that Taiwan was "confusing right and wrong".

"The Special Administrative Region's government must emphasise that Hong Kong and Taiwan belong to one China," it added.

Reuters mentioned a senior Taiwan official to say that Hong Kong government had demanded Taiwan officials who refused to sign the document leave the city by June 21.

Hong Kong, formerly a British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under "One country, two systems" formula. It was believed that such a formula would preserve city's freedoms and its role as international financial hub.

China considers Taiwan its own territory and has offered the island the same "one country two systems" model, under Chinese sovereignty.

No major Taiwanese political parties support the idea.

Hong Kong has become another source of tension between Taipei and Beijing, especially after Taiwan lambasted a new security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong and began welcoming Hong Kong people to settle on the democratic island.

(With inputs from agencies)