Foreign ministry says European visa battle not over yet

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making a last-ditch effort to send President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to Europe to receive this year's Liberal International prize for freedom despite setbacks triggered by China's opposition, sources said yesterday.

"We are still fighting. ... We won't give up any possibility," said a foreign ministry official in charge of European affairs yesterday afternoon.

"[Chinese Vice President] Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) is currently touring Europe and it's very sensitive timing. Any remarks on our part could trigger his protest on the European continent," added the official, who declined to be named.

Hu, a leading contender for coming to power during the leadership transfer in China slated for next year, is currently in France drumming up support during a five-day official visit.

Liberal International, a London-based global federation of liberal parties, granted Chen the 2001 Prize for Freedom. The organization's original plan was to grant Chen the award during the federation's annual meeting in Denmark between Tuesday and Thursday.

But in August, the Danish government refused to issue Chen a visa on the grounds that the EU member states have reached an unofficial rule which states that the five most important political figures in Taiwan -- the president, vice president, premier, foreign minister and defense minister -- would not get a visa even if they apply for private reasons.

In a letter dated July 19, the Dutch foreign minister said his government would stick to the European line. France has also declined to grant Chen a visa, sources said.

France, however, has offered conditional granting of a visa to Chen's wife Wu Shu-chei (吳淑珍) if she were to depart for France to receive the prize on behalf of Chen, sources in the Presidential Office said.

These conditions stipulated that Wu's travel be limited to the city where the ceremony was to be held and that she refrain from making any remarks in public. But Taiwan's government has declined the offer, sources said.

Despite attempts by Liberal International to find a country within in the EU where Chen would be able to receive the award in person, little concrete progress has been reached.

Aside from Denmark, efforts have been continuing to persuade another country in the EU to grant Chen a visa, officials in Taiwan said.

"The deadline would be early December, otherwise it would be meaningless as Chen has won the prize for the year 2001," the official said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂) told the legislature last month that "an alternative option" has been mapped out with regard to the issue, but declined to detail what that option was when asked by the press.