TAIPEI (TAIWAN) – As part of the Lunar New Year message, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen reached out to the people of Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Tsai expressed thanks to the “many friends who speak Cantonese” who follow her Facebook page, the language being Hong Kong’s most widely spoken.
“Please believe that although the democratic system is perhaps not perfect, it remains to date the best system for human society. Please keep the faith and don’t give up,” she said in Mandarin, before switching to Cantonese to say “happy new year”.
Democratic Taiwan has become a safe haven for many Hong Kongers who have fled the Chinese-run city in the face of a mounting crackdown on dissent after Beijing unveiled a new tough security law last year following months of protests.
Tsai and her government have offered strong support for the protesters, to the fury of Beijing, which considers Taiwan its own territory and has denounced the island for encouraging violence and criminality.