Taiwan’s inclusion in the US visa-waiver program would be more likely if it toughened up passport issuance procedures, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William Stanton said yesterday at his first press conference since assuming office in early August.
Stanton, a seasoned US diplomat of more than three decades, was instrumental in helping South Korea obtain the visa-waiver courtesy during his term as deputy chief of the US mission.
Last Friday, Stanton said he believed Taiwan’s inclusion was “doable,” but the country’s lax travel document issuance process was a major hindrance.
PHOTO: WALLY SANTANA, AP
Stanton yesterday said there were other criteria, such as sharing information on lost passports, and stressed the decision to grant visa-waiver access was a legal, not a political, one.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the goal of its consular services was to provide convenience to the public and that it would hesitate to add the requirement that all passport applicants must appear in person. The ministry is scheduled to conduct public hearings on the issue in the coming months, MOFA spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said.
Stanton, who was also part of the US effort to persuade Seoul to reopen its market to US beef, did not give a specific time line for its reintroduction to Taiwan, except to say US meat meets international standards and the timing would be decided based on sensitivity to public sentiment.
Despite heavy public protests, the South Korean government lifted its five-year ban on US beef in May last year. Five months later, the Bush administration announced that South Korea was one of the countries to be added to the visa-waiver program.
In related news, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) said yesterday that Taiwan will lift its ban on importing US bone-in beef in the next few days.
The announcement on importing US bone-in beef will be made before the end of the month, he said, adding that the import of US bone-in beef will be carried out in two stages and under strict supervision.
When asked about US President Barack Obama’s trip next month to China, Stanton said major topics such as climate change would top the agenda, but “the Taiwan issue would arise” amidst talks on regional matters. Taipei, he said, does not need to be worried about the visit and neither the opposition nor the ruling party have expressed concern over the trip.
Stanton did not give a direct answer when asked about the US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, simply saying the US was committed to Taiwan’s security and Taiwan-US military exchanges remain robust.
“A year ago in October, we made a decision on US$6.4 billion in arms sales to Taiwan,” he said. “It included a range of defensive equipment, including Apache helicopters, Harpoon missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, upgrades for E-2 surveillance aircraft, spare parts and other equipment ... The question of further arms sales is still a matter of ongoing review. It will be made in accordance with our assessment of what Taiwan’s self-defense needs are. That will be the principal criterion for any decision.”
Meanwhile, Stanton shrugged off local news reports regarding a possible visit by US Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric Shinseki next year, saying no government channel had reported on the visit. Stanton, however, confirmed that former US labor secretary Elaine Chao would visit next week.
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