Taiwan Pulls Trade Office Staff Over Hong Kong Ultimatum

HONG KONG - Taiwan said seven employees of its trade office in Hong Kong left the financial hub on Sunday after authorities there demanded they sign a pledge recognizing China's sovereignty over the self-ruled island.

The move comes after both Hong Kong and Macau closed their trade offices in Taipei and as Beijing seeks to pile diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Hong Kong's government had demanded its trade office staff sign a "one China pledge," which supports Beijing's view that the island is part of its territory. Taiwan's current democratically elected government views the island as a de facto sovereign state.