After losing China's civil war to the communists in 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) fled to Taiwan, where the mantle of the republic lived on -- along with its national holiday. In Hong Kong, KMT supporters have long displayed Taiwanese flags and marked the day in grand style. Communist China has long recognised the date's broader historical significance, but officials in Hong Kong are now loath to allow open displays of pro-Taiwan sentiment, as efforts to snuff out any hint of public opposition grow.
Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tang last month warned that celebrating the "Double Ten" could constitute support for Taiwanese independence -- a crime under the city's draconian new security law.
