Beijing has warned Taiwan against offering asylum to Hong Kong protesters, saying it will not tolerate any attempt by Taipei to meddle in the city's affairs.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Monday that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's offer to shelter activists "would not only make Taiwan a haven for criminals but would also put the well-being of the Taiwanese public at stake".


Ma accused Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of being "blind to the criminal acts of certain violent activists" and of trying to "cover up their crimes by fanning further fiery action in Hong Kong".

Ma said Beijing would not tolerate attempts by the island to protect criminal elements, adding that all people in Hong Kong were bound by the rule of law.

Last week, after Hong Kong police fired tear gas inside one of the city's subway stations, the DPP said Tsai had asked her government to offer "humanitarian assistance to Hong Kong people in need of help".


Ma then lashed out at Tsai and her government for "playing an extremely disgraceful role" in Hong Kong's unrest, demanding they "withdraw their black hands from Hong Kong".

In a meeting with former Australian defence minister Christopher Pyne on Monday, Tsai said Taiwan would not "intervene in their affairs" but it was natural for Taipei to be concerned about the worsening situation in Hong Kong and support Hong Kong people seeking freedom and democracy.

She said she hoped the Hong Kong authorities could resolve the unrest without trying to blame the situation on a "non-existing external force".

"Don't refuse to talk to the people and don't make any misjudgment and create regrets in the future," Tsai said.

According to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency, the number of people from Hong Kong applying for residency in Taiwan has risen in the past two months as the protests have intensified.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said it would help Hongkongers in need of sanctuary on a case-by-case basis.

But more than 30 Hongkongers were reported to have sought help in Taiwan in July only to find that the island did not have a refugee law.

Tsai has also said that the situation in Hong Kong proved that the "one country, two systems" model was unacceptable and would not win the support of most people in Taiwan.

Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province that must be brought back to the mainland's fold by force if necessary. It has suspended official exchanges with Taiwan since Tsai became president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.

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