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
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS