DARKER PURPOSE: A Hong Kong political adviser said the rumored merger might aim not to belittle Taiwan, but to strengthen Communist Party control over departments
Taipei Times
Date: Mar 04, 2018
By: Sherry Hsiao / Staff writer, with CNA
Cross-strait academics have called China’s reported plan to merge its Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) with its Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) an example of the country portraying issues related to Taiwan and the two Chinese territories as “local” affairs.
Hong Kong Chinese-language daily Ming Pao on Friday reported that China is to merge several government agencies, including the TAO and HKMAO.
One reason for Beijing to merge the two agencies could be that a stronger link between Hong Kong and Taiwan on many issues has developed before and following the territory’s Occupy Central movement, National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations director Kou Chien-wen (寇健文) said, adding that Hong Kong relations have already entered a new phase.
Under these circumstances, Beijing needs to improve the coordination of its relations with Taiwan and the territory, which are currently managed by separate agencies, he said, adding that merging the two would meet this need. [FULL STORY]