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Beijing behind Canadian visa decision, DPP claims

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused China of preventing Canada from issuing a visa to DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun.

The DPP's Culture and Information Department issued a press release saying Yu's scheduled visit to Taiwanese expatriates in Toronto ahead of next week's Mid-Autumn Festival had been blocked because the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei had denied him a visa.

The trade office told a party representative that it had rejected Yu's visa application because "the timing was improper," department director Super Meng (孟義超) said.

Meng said China might have interfered, adding that "Yu has suffered oppression from China several times in the past when planning visits to other countries."

Yu, who had planned to campaign for the party in Southeast Asia last month, was denied a visa by Thailand and had his visa to visit Vietnam canceled. Only the Philippines allowed him to visit.

The DPP protested to Thailand and Vietnam and passed a resolution on Aug. 15 urging the government to reevaluate its economic, diplomatic and cultural cooperation with the two countries.

Meng said the Canadian Trade Office's denial of a visa for Yu coincided with a party rally in Kaohsiung last Saturday in support of the government's proposed referendum on Taiwan's UN bid. At the rally, Yu advocated Taiwanese independence.

Meng said China's attempts to block Yu's visits abroad only proved that China was trying to hide the fact that "Taiwan and China are two different nations."

At a separate setting, Cabinet spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said China should not mix sports and politics.

Shieh made the remarks after the Chinese-language China Times reported that Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), who concurrently serves as the president of the Chinese Taipei Football Association, was denied a visa to enter China because of his "sensitive" position as vice premier.

The reports said that Chiou was invited by FIFA to attend the fourth FIFA Women's Football symposium in Shanghai later this month.

Chiou, who was originally scheduled to depart for Shanghai on Monday, sent a letter to the Football Association of the People's Republic of China on Monday asking it to follow FIFA norms by issuing a visa to facilitate cross-strait soccer exchanges, according to the reports.

However, Shieh said, Chiou's visa application was returned unanswered.

"It is obvious to see who is trying to disrupt sports events as a result of political considerations," Shieh said.

Asked whether Chiou would abandon his plans to visit China or continue to apply for a visa, Shieh said only that "the ball is now in China's court."

Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang and CNA
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