Taiwan to review travel permits for some Macau, HK media

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan has said that it will strengthen the immigration examination mechanism for those who work within specific Hong Kong and Macau media outlets and hold a certain level of position, according to Taiwan reports.

The decision has been triggered by the recent disclosure of a group of six journalists who practiced unapproved activities in Taiwan.

These journalists were suspected of illegally stalking Hong Kong pro-independence youth groups who were in Taiwan in January.

The Hong Kong journalists reportedly hired some Taiwan residents to stalk and record the activities of three pro-
independence Hong Kong youths. Later, the aforementioned two newspapers featured headlines attacking these youths.

The six Hong Kong journalists write for Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing media: Wen Wei Pao and Ta Kung Pao.

According to Taiwan’s national security authority’s investigation, the six journalists applied for a temporary stay permit using either their Hong Kong oar foreign residence.

Taiwan has a relatively relaxed verification process for visa applicants from Hong Kong and Macau, compared to what is required from mainland residents.

The spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan, Chiu Chui-cheng, said that Taiwan respects freedom of the press but does not tolerate any illegal act. JZ