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Taiwan's visa offer a step forward

`Taiwan has all of the characteristics of a country. Anyone coming from China must have Taiwan's approval. This in itself shows Taiwan's sovereign status. It's not like Hong Kong and Macau, where the local authorities have no choice but to accept anyone China chooses to let out.'

The Executive Yuan recently made an important decision relating to Taiwan-Hong Kong relations. Visitors from Hong Kong and Macau will now be granted 14-day visas upon arrival -- if they have visited Taiwan at least once before. This is a friendly gesture and an important effort on Taiwan's part to develop relations with Hong Kong. The decision was welcomed throughout the territory and especially in business and tourism circles, for the convenience it will provide.

In the past, visitors from Hong Kong and Macau faced extensive red tape, especially when entering Taiwan for the first time. It was necessary to submit oneself to a review, which mainly focused on one's relationship with China. This was done for security reasons because China has sent quite a few intelligence agents into Hong Kong. To prevent such people from using the territory as a springboard to infiltrate Taiwan, there were restrictions of all sorts. Just getting a visa took about three weeks, since the forms had to be sent to Taiwan and then returned. This was very inconvenient if one had an urgent matter to handle.

Moreover, the visas given to Hong Kong and Macau residents were of limited duration. Some were single-journey visas, and some were valid for three years. But even if a visitor had a three-year visa, he or she still had to apply for a special stamp before each trip -- a request that took one business day to process. The process was a hassle.

Therefore, a two-week visa received on arrival is a godsend for those visitors from Hong Kong and Macau who frequently travel to Taiwan.

There are, however, some things that can't be decided by the goodwill of one side alone. Taiwan has repeatedly expressed goodwill toward China only to be coldly rebuffed. Since early this year when Taiwan opened the "small three links," China's attitude has been deliberately enigmatic.

Taiwan's decision on the visas triggered some surprising reactions in Hong Kong. Some of China's "people's representatives" in the territory feel that stamping the passports of Hong Kong and Macau residents is an intentional expression of Taiwan's sovereignty that forces people from those two territories to accept that Taiwan is a country. Naturally, those who feel this way are quick to link the visa/passport stamping to "Taiwan independence." Who would have thought that some people's obsession with the concept of "class struggle" would cause them to think in the direction of Taiwan independence. It is clear how overly politicized Hong Kong has become.

There are two primary reasons why Taiwan is now making it more convenient for visitors from Hong Kong and Macau to enter the country. First, the economy has been sluggish, so making it convenient for more visitors to come could stimulate tourism. Second, more people from China are now visiting Taiwan, so it is appropriate that it should be more convenient for residents from the Special Administrative Regions to do so as well.

Taiwan has been an independent, sovereign country all along, regardless of whether or not it provides visas on arrival. This point doesn't require China's recognition. Taiwan has all of the characteristics of a country. Anyone coming from China must have Taiwan's approval. This in itself shows Taiwan's sovereign status. It's not like Hong Kong and Macau, where the local authorities have no choice but to accept anyone China chooses to let out.

Thus, whether visas are stamped in the passports of visitors from Hong Kong and Macau is irrelevant. To call this a show of sovereignty or "special state-to-state relations" is simply a bid to stir up trouble and harm cross-strait relations. Precisely because pro-China figures were crying out, Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Regina Ip (葉劉淑儀), a favorite of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), was very cautious and refused to respond to Taiwan's offer. No doubt she wants to get instructions from Beijing. In fact, under the regulations of the Basic Law, Hong Kong is a sovereign region except in its foreign policy and defense. The fact that the SAR must ask for instructions from Beijing regarding relations with Taiwan shows that Taiwan affairs are bracketed under "foreign affairs." In other words, Taiwan is a country.

When Hong Kong residents travel between Hong Kong and China they don't need to present a passport. They use identity cards and "home-return" permits. Thus, if Taiwan stamps visas into the passports of people from Hong Kong, the SAR government and Beijing authorities won't even notice unless they make a special effort to check for them.

In addition, there are now two primary types of passports held by people from Hong Kong. One is the British National Overseas (BNO) passport left over from before the handover. Two to three million people in Hong Kong hold these passports, and although Beijing respects their existence, it only recognizes their use as a travel document. This is all clearly specified in the Basic Law. But Tung's government bent even further to the left than Beijing when it ruled not long ago that BNO passport holders would not be allowed to join the 800-member election committee charged with electing the chief executive. Obviously they want to demote BNO passport holders to the status of second-class citizens.

The second passport is the post-handover Hong Kong SAR passport. If Beijing feels that stamping a visa implies "two Chinas" and the Hong Kong side is really unwilling to accept Taiwan's friendly gesture, then it would be best for Hong Kong SAR passport holders to forego the convenience provided by Taiwan while allowing BNO passport holders to continue to enjoy it.

Since Taiwan's gesture didn't receive a friendly response from either Hong Kong and China, the question of how to open Taiwan ,to tourists from China should be temporarily deferred. Taiwan should not work hard just to hear criticism from China.

Just as Hong Kong's pro-China figures were causing difficulty for Taiwan visa policy, DPP Chairman and Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) was refused permission to visit the SAR. The differing attitudes shown toward Hsieh on the one hand, and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on the other, demonstrate Beijing's policy of sowing discord. They also show that Beijing has too many political considerations regarding cross-strait exchanges. There is no need for Taiwan unilaterally to acquiesce in Beijing's behavior. Even more importantly, Taiwan should not become complacent about self-interested overtures from China. To do so would be to fall into Beijing's trap.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.

Translated by Ethan Harkness
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