Uruguay’s decision to halt visa-free entry for Taiwanese from Wednesday was due to pressure from Beijing, a source said yesterday.
The announcement by Uruguay, which ended diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1988, was unexpected, the source said.
Chinese General Administration of Customs Minister Ni Yue-feng (倪岳峰) on Monday visited Uruguay, where he reportedly met with Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Nin Novoa as the two nations celebrated the 30th anniversary of formal diplomatic ties, the source said.
Photo: CNA
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei yesterday cited technical issues for Uruguay’s decision.
Uruguay halted the preferential treatment for Taiwanese because its online e-visa application system is still being developed, the ministry said.
Until further notice, Taiwanese would have to apply for a visa at the Uruguayan embassy in Japan, ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said.
The ministry said that it would continue to approach the Uruguayan government and strive to have the relevant procedures completed as soon as possible so that Taiwanese could again enjoy the convenience of visa-free entry into Uruguay.
Uruguay began offering visa-free entry for up to 90 days on Oct. 19, making it the 169th nation at the time to offer Taiwanese preferential visa treatment.
The ministry had previously said that visa-free access was granted due to steps taken by the Taipei Commercial and Cultural Office in Argentina, which also handles Uruguayan affairs.
Additional reporting by CNA
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a