China’s visa tactics
The National Audit Office’s 2023 Central Government Final Accounts Audit listed 171 countries that grant Taiwanese visa-free entry, a new record.
However, at the end of April, that number had dropped to 166 countries.
In the past few years, following China’s increased pressure on Taiwan, some countries’ visa policies are being readjusted to Taiwan’s detriment. Botswana has canceled its e-visa system’s Taiwan option from its pull-down menu. It forces Taiwanese to choose “China,” leading to Taiwanese travelers being unable to truly enjoy the benefits of e-visa service and treatment.
Kazakhstan and Colombia have similar visa policies.
China is attempting to use foreign diplomatic pressure to isolate Taiwan. This not only affects travel convenience for Taiwanese, but also harms trade and human exchanges between Taiwan and other countries. This move by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cannot stop Taiwanese support for our own democratic freedoms, but instead deepens feelings of antipathy and resentment toward China. China’s actions halt the development of peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The CCP should stop trying to suppress Taiwan’s national status. Doing so would create a foundation for mutual respect and understanding, and the pursuit of peace and prosperity.
Chang Ya-jou
Taipei
Labubu, an elf-like plush toy with pointy ears and nine serrated teeth, has become a global sensation, worn by celebrities including Rihanna and Dua Lipa. These dolls are sold out in stores from Singapore to London; a human-sized version recently fetched a whopping US$150,000 at an auction in Beijing. With all the social media buzz, it is worth asking if we are witnessing the rise of a new-age collectible, or whether Labubu is a mere fad destined to fade. Investors certainly want to know. Pop Mart International Group Ltd, the Chinese manufacturer behind this trendy toy, has rallied 178 percent
My youngest son attends a university in Taipei. Throughout the past two years, whenever I have brought him his luggage or picked him up for the end of a semester or the start of a break, I have stayed at a hotel near his campus. In doing so, I have noticed a strange phenomenon: The hotel’s TV contained an unusual number of Chinese channels, filled with accents that would make a person feel as if they are in China. It is quite exhausting. A few days ago, while staying in the hotel, I found that of the 50 available TV channels,
Kinmen County’s political geography is provocative in and of itself. A pair of islets running up abreast the Chinese mainland, just 20 minutes by ferry from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Kinmen remains under the Taiwanese government’s control, after China’s failed invasion attempt in 1949. The provocative nature of Kinmen’s existence, along with the Matsu Islands off the coast of China’s Fuzhou City, has led to no shortage of outrageous takes and analyses in foreign media either fearmongering of a Chinese invasion or using these accidents of history to somehow understand Taiwan. Every few months a foreign reporter goes to
There is no such thing as a “silicon shield.” This trope has gained traction in the world of Taiwanese news, likely with the best intentions. Anything that breaks the China-controlled narrative that Taiwan is doomed to be conquered is welcome, but after observing its rise in recent months, I now believe that the “silicon shield” is a myth — one that is ultimately working against Taiwan. The basic silicon shield idea is that the world, particularly the US, would rush to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion because they do not want Beijing to seize the nation’s vital and unique chip industry. However,
RSS