The official US government watchdog agency yesterday criticized the Bush administration for its failure to include Taiwan in a plan to expand the so-called visa waiver program, under which citizens of favored countries are allowed visa-free entry into the US for up to 90 days, indicating that political and technical reasons were involved.
Acceptance of Taiwan into the program would save Taiwanese the cost and hassle of applying for a visa for short personal, tourist and business trips to the US.
But despite the fact that Taiwan fits the requirements — more so than most other countries, including those to be added to the program this year — the US has not explained why Taiwan is excluded, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released yesterday. While Taiwan is not expected to be admitted to the program until next year at the earliest, Taiwan’s representatives have been talking with US officials for some time about the program, which is a product of efforts by the US Homeland Security Department (DHS) to revamp US visa rules in the wake of Sept. 11.
The program seeks to reward citizens of countries that have few of what US authorities consider to be “undesirables” trying to enter the US each year, and that have helped the US in the “war” on terrorism.
The US Congress expanded the program last year in a move that would appear to have made it easier for Taiwan to join.
In a 53-page report criticizing the visa waiver program, the GAO sharply criticized DHS for shortcomings in administering the expansion process, which has prevented several countries — including Taiwan — from entering the program.
Under the basic program, the DHS and State Department count the number of visa applicants each year who are rejected entry for a variety of reasons, or the so-called rejection rate. Countries with less than a 3 percent rejection rate are given visa waivers. Still, under a law passed by Congress last year, the US can give such waivers to countries with rejection rates of up to 10 percent.
The GAO report showed that last year, Taiwan’s rejection rate was 5 percent. However, Taiwanese officials dispute that figure and one top official at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington told the Taipei Times that the figure is actually 3.8 percent, one of the world’s lowest and enough to qualify in the waiver program. It was not clear why the US side was exaggerating the refusal rate for Taiwan, but the TECRO official would not confirm whether it was the result of pressure from China.
China has a 21 percent rejection rate, one of the world’s highest.
In addition to the refusal rate, countries must satisfy other requirements, which Taiwan either already meets or will meet by next year, Taiwanese officials said.
However, Taiwan and other countries have been unable to get a clear response from State Department and DHS officials, while the GAO report places the blame squarely on the US side.
The report said DHS officials “created confusion” among US officials and other countries, making it difficult for embassy officials — presumably including the American Institute in Taiwan — to explain the expansion process and tell them when they could be admitted.
“Furthermore, State officials said that it was difficult to explain to countries with fiscal year 2007 refusal rates below 10 percent that have signaled interest in joining the program [such as Croatia, Israel and Taiwan] why DHS is not negotiating with them,” the report said.
What makes the situation worse, the GAO said, is that the DHS is talking with East European countries whose refusal rate is more than 10 percent “with the expectation that fiscal year 2008 rates will be below this ceiling,” the report said.
The negotiations fit the Bush administration policy of expanding the program to favored countries whose help Washington seeks in the “war on terror” and other policy priorities, the report said.
At present, 27 countries are in the visa waiver program and another 13 so-called “Road Map” countries are in discussions with Washington to join the program. But these, again, exclude Taiwan.
Taiwan’s refusal rate is lower than virtually all of the Road Map countries, the GAO report said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said one requirement for the program was integrated chip passports, which Taiwan has not introduced because of concerns by human rights groups. He said the upgraded passports could be ready by year’s end.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and