The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday denied it had “dressed up” figures to attain its goal of “visa-free entry to 100 countries” by including Fiji, which a lawmaker said had granted Republic of China (ROC) passport holders visa-waiver privileges more than two years ago.
“It’s a fake accomplishment,” said DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), who accused the government of delaying the Fiji announcement so it would be unveiled closer to the announcement of its “100 goal.”
To support his claim, Gao displayed a document issued by Fiji’s Department of Immigration on April 15, 2009, showing that Taiwan was on the South Pacific country’s list of visa-exempt countries.
James Tien (田中光), director-general of the ministry’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the letter sent by Fiji about the visa-waiver was dated April 15, 2009, but the ministry was informed of the change much later.
“Fiji did not officially inform us that Taiwan is one of its visa-exempt countries until Sept. 22 last year,” he said by telephone. “Before then, we had landing visa access.”
“It was the first time Fiji officially informed Taiwan of the visa-free access,” he said.
On Oct. 2 last year, the ministry announced that Taiwanese would be eligible to enter Fiji visa-free for a stay of up to four months, adding that Fiji was the 33rd country or territory to offer Taiwanese the privilege.
The ministry last year announced the objective of attaining visa-free entry to 100 countries and areas to celebrate the ROC centenary.
Representative to Fiji Victor Chin (秦日新) said by phone that the reason the decision was made on April 15, 2009, and implemented on Sept. 22 last year could be that Fiji had concerns over how Beijing would react, as China has been its largest aid donor since a Fijian coup d’etat in December 2006.
The rapprochement in cross-strait relations could be the reason Fiji felt confident it could offer visa-free treatment to visitors from Taiwan, Chin said.
In response to Gao’s claims that Taiwanese entered Fiji visa-free long before the ministry made the announcement, Chin said people could be confusing landing-visa access with visa-free treatment because of the ambiguous distinction between tourists going through immigration with a landing visa and visa-free treatment at Fiji’s airport.
According to the government, the number of countries or areas that offer visa-free entry to ROC passport holders has reached 116, with last week’s addition of Albania and the announcement yesterday that Taiwanese could now enter Brunei with a landing visa and stay for up to 14 days.
The number of countries and territories that ROC citizens can enter without visa or with a landing visa has increased by 62, or 115 percent, since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May 2008, the ministry said.
Gao, however, questioned that number, saying it included a number of countries that still required visas upon arrival.
Based on the DPP’s calculation, the real figure is closer to 89, Gao said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique