Taiwan denounced Hong Kong for “stunting its national dignity” over the city’s handling of work visas for staff at Taipei’s representative office in the Chinese-ruled territory, a row that has led to the departure of most Taiwanese staff there.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council head Chiu Tai-san said that they support Hong Kong’s democracy and freedom, but denied that Taiwan had intervened in Hong Kong’s affairs.

Chiu said that the operations of the office in Hong Kong would continue despite the grave situation, in the interests of the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Seven of the eight Taiwanese staff members at the office returned home on Sunday, leaving only one remaining whose visa expires in July. The logjam over their work visas centers on a requirement made by the Hong Kong government that they sign a “one-China” declaration acknowledging Beijing’s claim over Taiwan.

Chiu described the requirement, which was first reported in 2018, as unacceptable and a unilateral breach of trust by the Hong Kong government.

Chiu added that it shows “one country, two systems” exists in name only.

He said that staff had been told on June 7 that they must sign the declaration within a week, otherwise they would be required to leave Hong Kong by June 21.

The departure of Taiwanese staff means that the office in Hong Kong will continue operating with local staff only. Chiu said he was not suggesting that Taiwanese people should stop traveling to Hong Kong, but the situation in the city had changed a lot over the previous two years, and this was something that people should understand.

In May, Hong Kong temporarily suspended operations at its representative office in Taiwan after accusing Taiwan of grossly interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs on repeated occasions. At the time of that announcement, all Hong Kong staff members in Taiwan had already returned home.

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