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The Politics of “Solidarity” Between Taiwan and Hong Kong

Last Sunday, while on their two-week tour of the United States, prominent Sunflower Movement student leaders Lin Fei-fan and Chen Wei-ting expressed their support for the democracy movement in Hong Kong’s Occupy Central. Even the Ma administration has, to date, expressed at least “regret,” for China’s refusal to permit democratic elections in Hong Kong, although that it only expressed “regret” has also come under fire. By contrast, the Chinese government in Beijing has stated that Taiwan and, for that matter, the United States, should keep out of Hong Kong’s affairs.

Much has been made in the media about Taiwan’s support for the democracy movement in Hong Kong, whether this is merely in regards that Taiwanese’s eyes are set on Hong Kong because it may be a vision of a possible future for Taiwan should Taiwan fall under Chinese control, or in regards to actual cases of Taiwanese post-Sunflower Movement activists traveling to Hong Kong to share their skills with Hong Konger activists or to observe. On the level of international relations, some commentators have spoken of the natural alliance between Taiwan and Hong Kong to resist China which both should work towards.

Nevertheless, the deeper question that may be asked is to what extent any “actual” alliance between Hong Kong and China is forming or even possible. There is an incipient politics of “solidarity” shared between Hong Kong and Taiwan perhaps. But if it remains only on the level of “solidarity”—that is to say, the offering of mutual sympathies from one to the other—then there is still something to be desired in terms of cooperation. A politics of “solidarity” without mutual strategizing on a fundamental level or consisting merely cooperation on a superficial level very likely will not accomplish much.

林飛帆跟陳為廷有說過他們支持香港民主運動,連馬政府也說他們遺憾中國的決定關於香港。另外方面,北京叫台灣和美國不插進香港的事。媒體上,有很多討論台灣跟香港合作的可能性,也有參加太陽花學運的台灣人現在去香港,但是問題是合作會做得到什麼?如果台灣人去香港參觀或只去分享在太陽花學運的經驗,不夠。比較深的合作方法是必須的。

Photo credit: Occupy Central with Love and Peace

Brian Hioe (丘琦欣) is a freelancer currently based in Taipei, he will be starting an M.A. in East Asian Languages and Culture at Columbia University in Fall 2014.

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