Taiwan will provide "necessary assistance" to the people of Hong Kong, President Tsai Ing-wen said, after a resurgence in Chinese-ruled territory protests against newly proposed Beijing national security legislation.
Taiwan has become a haven for a small but increasing number of pro-democracy demonstrators who have fled Hong Kong, convulsed by protests since last year.
Police in Hong Kong fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of people who rallied to protest Beijing's plan to impose national security laws on the city on Sunday.
Writing late on Sunday on her Facebook page, Tsai said the proposed legislation constituted a serious threat to the freedoms and judicial independence of Hong Kong.
Bullets and repression are not the way to tackle the Hong Kong people 's aspirations for freedom and democracy, she added.
"The international community has proactively stretched out a helping hand to the people of Hong Kong, given the changing situation," Tsai wrote.
Taiwan will "perfect even more proactively and pursue relevant support work, and provide the necessary help to the people of Hong Kong," she wrote.
