Following the granting of visa-free status to ROC citizens by the U.K. and Ireland, the European Union appears set to offer the same privileges by year-end. This is helpful to increasing exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Europe, and represents a significant recognition of the ROC’s national development.
Going abroad for tourism, family visits or business is greatly facilitated when one need not apply for a visa—have ticket, will travel. But people in Taiwan often must present numerous notarized documents to get visas, resulting in excessive expenditures of money, time and effort.
To attract more tourists, some countries are now visa free to all comers. Most, however, remain selective, adopting different policies in regard to different nations. Among their considerations are bilateral relations, national security, illegal immigration, crime and measures to prevent passport forgery.
Japan was the first country to throw aside political considerations and grant visa-free entry to Taiwanese. It first instituted a six-month visa-free period for visitors from Taiwan to attract more tourists to Expo 2005 in Aichi.
Despite pressure from mainland China, the revenue brought in by more than a million Taiwanese prompted Japan to take the extraordinary step of passing a law in the Diet the same year giving Taiwanese tourists permanent visa-waiver status.
The next landmark development came when the U.K. announced in March 2009 that it was granting visa-free entry for up to six months for non-work purposes of tourism, family visits, study or business, the first European country to do so.
This move saw immediate results, with a great increase in Taiwanese travelers to the U.K. and the opening of direct flight routes. In July of the same year Ireland offered visa-free travel for 90-day stays. New Zealand followed suit in November.
With the U.K. and Ireland taking the lead, and the EU poised to give Taiwan 90-day visa-free privileges for Christmas, the situation is very encouraging. The prospect of unfettered travel throughout the 28 countries of Europe will attract many more Taiwanese, and positive relations are sure to result.
In making this decision the EU, just like Japan, the U.K. and Ireland, is looking out for its own interests. But this means that Taiwan’s economic power has attracted international attention, and its accomplishments in many fields have been recognized.
Because Taiwan has raised its standards in terms of general educational level, public safety and the security of its passports, more and more countries are granting it visa exemptions. This is something to be proud of, as Taiwan has won a welcome on its own merits.
Warming cross-strait relations are clearly behind the EU’s anticipated visa-free measure for Taiwan. Since President Ma Ying-jeou took office, Taipei and Beijing have left zero-sum competition behind, and their diplomatic truce in the international arena has seen Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly, progress toward free trade agreements and an end to the battle for diplomatic allies.
Visa-free travel for ROC citizens in Europe will be another important victory for Ma’s cross-strait and diplomatic policies.
No matter what principles a policy is based on, its only true measure is its effectiveness. Recent events show that Taiwan has not been marginalized and is gradually breaking into the global community and opening up more avenues of contact and exchange. This policy direction should be encouraged and supported. (THN)
(This commentary originally appeared in the China Times Oct. 5.)
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