The Presidential Office has decided not to give consent for former President Ma Ying-jeou to visit Hong Kong to give a speech on June 15. A spokesman for the Presidential Office made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday.
Ma, who stepped down on May 20, had been invited to Hong Kong by the Society of Publishers in Asia.
According to Taiwan's Classified National Security Information Protection Act, Ma would need approval from the current administration in order to leave the country. That’s because presidents have access to classified information during their tenure.
Under the Act, former presidents are required to apply for overseas visits 20 days before making a trip. Ma filed his application for the June 15th engagement on June 1.
While this would not have been the first overseas trip for a former president, it is the first time a former president has applied to make such a visit within three years of stepping down.
Ma has said that he will respect the decision of the Presidential Office.