Taiwan Today

Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada, has “agreed in principle” to grant visa-free status to citizens from the Republic of China. The move will be announced once the Canadian Cabinet approves the proposal, according to sources familiar with the matter. The new measure should take effect at the end of the year, travel industry insiders said. The Taiwan government is negotiating a 6-month tourist visa-free entry for its citizens traveling to Canada. In return, Taiwan will extend visa-free stay for Canadians once an agreement is reached. The two countries are currently working on details of the matter. Sources said a formal announcement of the new visa policy by both sides was originally scheduled for earlier this month. The delay occurred because Harper’s administration demanded that Taiwan fully open its market to Canadian beef as a precondition for visa-free treatment. Taipei did not accept this precondition and instructed David Tawei Lee, its representative to Ottawa, to continue communicating with the Canadian government. Though Canada is hoping to gain full access to Taiwan’s beef market, key members in the Canadian government, including Prime Minister Harper, agree the two issues should be negotiated separately. In responding to questions about the import of Canadian bone-in beef, President Ma Ying-jeou, when receiving a Canadian parliamentary delegation in July, reiterated the government’s policy. He said Taiwan agreed to the import of less than 30-month old, boneless Canadian beef in 2007. Related agencies were examining the possibility of allowing the import of bone-in beef, and would reach a decision as soon as possible, he added. With bilateral trade worth more than US$5.28 billion every year, Canada stands as Taiwan’s 13th largest trading partner, and Taiwan is Canada’s fourth largest trading partner in Asia, according to official statistics. In 2008 Taiwan was the seventh largest source of tourists to Canada, with more than 150,000 visitors. Canada is the fourth most popular site for Taiwan students studying abroad, with 2,500 students yearly. Taiwanese immigrants in Canada started sending petition letters to Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration at the beginning of this year, urging the government to waive visa applications for ROC visitors. They pointed out the Winter Olympics will be held in Canada in January 2010. If Taiwanese can be given the right of visa-free entry before then, it should provide a boost to Canadian tourism. On March 3, 2009 the United Kingdom granted Taiwanese citizens the right of visa-free entry. Ireland followed suit July 1 by automatically giving Taiwanese citizens three-month tourist visas at the airport. MOFA has had its eye on Canada ever since then. Its next move is to get European Union members requiring the Schengen Visa to waive visa applications for Taiwan citizens. (LC-THN)