Lee, officials, lawmakers united in condemnation

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a chorus of condemnation from senior government officials, bureau heads and lawmakers, calling Nancy Pelosi's move "selfish" and a threat to peace.

Lee said the "extremely selfish" move threatens the well-being of more than 20 million people in Taiwan for "political self-interest."

He added: "Speaker Pelosi's sneak visit openly challenges the one-China principle, seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and greatly threatens the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

Lee also said in a statement earlier that the visit was "tantamount to encouraging Taiwan independence," adding that Hong Kong will support all measures by the central government to safeguard national sovereignty.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said Pelosi's visit "constitutes gross interference" in China's internal affairs, describing her arrival in Taiwan as a "sneak visit."

The term, which bears pejorative associations, existing only in the Chinese version of various officials' statements and translated simply as "visit" in the English ones, has been previously used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Other top officials used similarly worded statements.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said Pelosi's "wantonly made" visit had "trampled on the one-China principle," while Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said it also violated the three Sino-US joint communiques.

Citing the preamble of the national constitution, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said the visit "constitutes an attempt to obstruct the great reunification of the motherland."

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said Pelosi "seriously violated international norms and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs."

The Security Bureau is the only bureau that issued an official statement to condemn the visit.

Other bureau heads, including ministers for environment and ecology, housing, labor and welfare, and transport, weighed in on social media.

The patriots-only legislature made a unanimous joint statement "strongly condemning" the visit, saying it has violated the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques.

Political parties weighed in as expected.

Holden Chow Ho-ding and Ben Chan Han-pan were among the members of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong who protested outside the US consulate in Central.

DAB said the visit "sent Taiwan independence separatist forces the wrong signals."

The New People's Party said Pelosi intends to "contain China with the Taiwan question."

Bill Tang Ka-piu and Michael Luk Chung-hung, representing the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, also showed up at the consulate to protest.

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said: "Speaker Pelosi's visit is not for the rights, democracy and freedom of the Taiwanese people, but for the political gain of the US."

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com