Taiwan's visa offer a step forward

Thus, whether visas are stamped in the passports of visitors from Hong Kong and Macau is irrelevant. To call this a show of sovereignty or "special state-to-state relations" is simply a bid to stir up trouble and harm cross-strait relations. Precisely because pro-China figures were crying out, Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Regina Ip (葉劉淑儀), a favorite of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), was very cautious and refused to respond to Taiwan's offer. No doubt she wants to get instructions from Beijing. In fact, under the regulations of the Basic Law, Hong Kong is a sovereign region except in its foreign policy and defense. The fact that the SAR must ask for instructions from Beijing regarding relations with Taiwan shows that Taiwan affairs are bracketed under "foreign affairs." In other words, Taiwan is a country.

When Hong Kong residents travel between Hong Kong and China they don't need to present a passport. They use identity cards and "home-return" permits. Thus, if Taiwan stamps visas into the passports of people from Hong Kong, the SAR government and Beijing authorities won't even notice unless they make a special effort to check for them.

In addition, there are now two primary types of passports held by people from Hong Kong. One is the British National Overseas (BNO) passport left over from before the handover. Two to three million people in Hong Kong hold these passports, and although Beijing respects their existence, it only recognizes their use as a travel document. This is all clearly specified in the Basic Law. But Tung's government bent even further to the left than Beijing when it ruled not long ago that BNO passport holders would not be allowed to join the 800-member election committee charged with electing the chief executive. Obviously they want to demote BNO passport holders to the status of second-class citizens.

The second passport is the post-handover Hong Kong SAR passport. If Beijing feels that stamping a visa implies "two Chinas" and the Hong Kong side is really unwilling to accept Taiwan's friendly gesture, then it would be best for Hong Kong SAR passport holders to forego the convenience provided by Taiwan while allowing BNO passport holders to continue to enjoy it.

Since Taiwan's gesture didn't receive a friendly response from either Hong Kong and China, the question of how to open Taiwan ,to tourists from China should be temporarily deferred. Taiwan should not work hard just to hear criticism from China.

Just as Hong Kong's pro-China figures were causing difficulty for Taiwan visa policy, DPP Chairman and Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) was refused permission to visit the SAR. The differing attitudes shown toward Hsieh on the one hand, and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on the other, demonstrate Beijing's policy of sowing discord. They also show that Beijing has too many political considerations regarding cross-strait exchanges. There is no need for Taiwan unilaterally to acquiesce in Beijing's behavior. Even more importantly, Taiwan should not become complacent about self-interested overtures from China. To do so would be to fall into Beijing's trap.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.

Translated by Ethan Harkness