CNA file photo

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) lodged a protest Saturday with the Hong Kong government after researchers from Taiwan were recently denied visas to visit the territory.

According to MAC vice minister and spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), the council has expressed its regret and displeasure to the Hong Kong government over the visa denial.

In its protest, the MAC urged Hong Kong to adopt a positive and tolerant attitude in its handling of private exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong so as not to negatively impact the development of bilateral ties.

The academics in question are Wu Rwei-ren (吳叡人), an associate research fellow at Academia Sinica, and Wu Jieh-min (吳介民), a full-time research fellow at Academia Sinica's Institute of Sociology.

Both men had online visa applications to Hong Kong denied, according to the MAC.

The Taiwanese academics were recently invited to attend a seminar organized by the Hong Kong Federation of Students, an organization founded by the student unions of four higher education institutions in Hong Kong. The seminar is scheduled to be held on Dec. 22.

(By Miao Zong-han and Ko Lin)
Enditem/AW