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Mexico's blacklist may be met with reciprocal action

Government officials may cancel multiple-entry visas for Mexican nationals in retaliation for Mexico's inclusion of Taiwan on a blacklist of countries it considers to be terrorist states.

"We are preparing to cancel the multiple-entry visa valid for one year for Mexican nationals who intend to travel to Taiwan," Katharine Chang (張小月), spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday.

Chang said it was a matter of one bad deed deserving another.

"We will adhere to the principle of reciprocity," she said. "We will treat Mexico in the same way that it treats us."

On Sept. 13, Mexico placed Taiwan on its blacklist of terrorist states alongside countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Bosnia.

The designation could mean trouble and red tape for Republic of China passport holders when they apply for Mexican visas.

Nationals from blacklisted countries must wait more than 20 days while immigration authorities check the backgrounds of visa applicants, Chang said.

Even if ROC passport holders hold a US green card, they will still be required to wait, sources said.

The measure was put in place to guard against terrorist attacks after the Sept. 11 strikes on US soil.

Before the creation of the blacklist, ROC passport holders had to wait just three days before having their visas approved.

The issue has also led some to question the administrative efficiency of Taipei's representative office in Mexico.

News of the list was first reported to the foreign affairs ministry by Taipei's representative office in Los Angeles -- not Mexico.

Liu Chia-feng (劉佳豐), Taipei's top representative in Mexico, was away from his office starting Sept. 12, the day following the terrorist attacks in the US and didn't return from vacation until Sept. 17.

Foreign ministry officials said Taiwanese diplomats experience difficulties in gaining access to Mexican authorities and this contributed to poor information-gathering. In addition, just three people are assigned to Taiwan's representative office in Mexico.

"As a matter of fact, our relations with Mexico haven't been so good," a foreign affairs officials said on condition of anonimity. "We've had little access to the Mexican government, while China has been expanding its ties with Mexico."

Chang said the ministry was attempting to ascertain why it took 10 days before news of the blacklist was reported to foreign affairs officials in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the foreign affairs ministry issued a travel warning yesterday, advising Taiwanese nationals not to visit Pakistan and Afghanistan as the US gears up for war in the region.

The foreign affairs ministry also advised travelers who intend to visit the countries listed below to be alert and to keep close contact with Taiwan's representative offices there.

These countries are Turkey, Israel, Kuwait, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.

In related news, Canada has said that ROC passport holders must obtain transit visas to travel through Canada on their way to a third destination. Previously, the transit visas weren't required.

Travelers from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines will also be required to obtain transit visas.

The measure is a part of increased security in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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