China did not consult with Taiwan before implementing a new policy concerning the entry of Taiwanese visitors into its territory, Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said yesterday, adding that the government is “extremely dissatisfied” with the lack of discussions.
“It has to be stated quite clearly that this is extremely hurtful to the feelings of our people,” Mao said during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan.
China notified Taipei about the new electronic card before its trial in July and its full implementation yesterday, but without prior consultations, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉) said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
There has been a lack of consultation despite Taiwan’s persistent demand that there should be prior consultations before any important policy concerning cross-strait relations is announced, Lin told lawmakers.
Taiwan had asked Beijing whether the use of the new card might be expanded, but no response has been received, Lin added.
The new credit card-sized travel pass replaces the “Taiwan compatriot travel document” (台胞證) that Taiwanese have used until now.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
In a public notice issued on Tuesday last week, Beijing said Taiwanese could apply to its public security departments above the county level to exchange their travel document for the new card and authorities would stop issuing paper documents yesterday.
Those who hold a paper “Taiwan compatriot travel document” could continue to use it until it expires, Lin said.
To coincide with the introduction of the new card, Beijing began in July to grant permit-free treatment to Taiwanese, which removed the need for an entry permit.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The integrated-chip card system was implemented on a trial basis on July 1, less than a month after Beijing announced the change, and Taiwan was officially informed of the policy 20 minutes before it took effect, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) said.
China’s unilateral decision to adopt the new card on such short notice showed disrespect for Taiwan, Hsia said during a visit to the US in July.
The switch to a smart card has created suspicion among many Taiwanese that Beijing is using it to downgrade Taiwan’s status to that of Hong Kong and Macau.
The card is similar to the “Hong Kong and Macau resident travel permit to enter the interior” (港澳居民來往內地通行證), which is also known as a “home visit permit” (回鄉證), critics have said.
Some Taiwanese academics have also voiced concern about possible data security breaches with the use of the card.
Experts have said that the smart chip embedded in the card would make it easy for Taiwanese tourists in China to be subjected to police surveillance.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS