Ban on visas to Chinese proposed

"For those Chinese and Hong Kong travelers who have obtained a Taiwanese visa, we'll try to persuade them not to travel to Taiwan. As for those who wish to apply for visas, we'll tighten our screening process when issuing the visa," Sung said.

Deputy director of the foreign ministry's Department of International Organizations Chieh Wen-chi (介文汲) said only the Ministry of the Interior has the authority to manage the arrivals of Chinese and Hong Kong residents.

MOFA will cooperate with any operations if the MOI and other related agencies approve the proposal, Chieh said.