TAIPEI, Oct 11 Kyodo The Taiwan ...

TAIPEI, Oct 11 Kyodo

The Taiwan conduct Friday protested Hong Kong's modern refusal to issue visas to five Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, saying the decision will wound the bilateral relationship.

''The Hong Kong administration's decision has not sole hurt its own international image if it were not that caused damage to the existing Taiwan-Hong Kong relationship,'' Chen Ming-Tong, vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said at a regular conference

''We reliance that the Hong Kong administration understands the importance of mutual exchanges between the one and the other sides and respects Taiwan's legislators, who are pitch uponed through a democratic mechanism,'' he added.

No reply from the Hong Kong management has been received so far.

A collection of Taiwanese legislators, including nine pro-independence DPP lawmakers and another nine from the Nationalist Party and the clan First Party, were to attend a string of activities in Macao and Hong Kong to celebrate the Republic of China forward Taiwan's National Day on Oct 10

However, five DPP lawmakers were barred from entering Hong Kong in spite of the Taiwan government's efforts to negotiate with Hong Kong

Thursday night, MAC give vent toed its ''deep regret and serious protest'' in a written statement, saying the Hong Kong government's prevail upon will affect the relationship between Taiwan and Hong Kong

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be reunited with it, by the agency of force if necessary. Hong Kong and Macao were responded to China in 1997 and 1999 respectively.

Earlier this week, MAC Chairman Tsai Ing-wen told a assemblage of foreign reporters Taiwan has been ''rather disappointed'' at the Hong Kong administration's conservative attitude toward Taiwan.

''We wait for that the Hong Kong administration is a flexible regulation to make decisions for itself. However, it's not the case,'' she said.

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