- Botswana among countries that have cancelled preferential visa terms for Taiwanese
- Taiwan passport holders can no longer apply for an e-visa to Botswana in new setup
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused the Botswana Government of bowing to Chinese pressure after Botswana cancelled preferential visa terms for Taiwanese nationals.
According to the Asian nation, Botswana is one of five countries that have vetoed the preferential visa terms for Taiwanese nationals in recent months.
The Taiwanese foreign ministry made the remarks in a report published by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) last Tuesday.
China-Taiwan standoff
China and Taiwan have been embroiled in a serious standoff for over 70 years as the former insists on Taiwan’s return to mainland China while the latter advocates for its independence.
China continues to regard Taiwan as its province with no room for a separate status as an independent country. Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China (ROC) while China’s official title is the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
International media outlets have also insinuated that the United States of America has used the standoff between the Asian nations as a pawn in its own standoff with China.
A province of China
In 2010, the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs announced that it regarded Taiwan as a province of China and underlined that it would not accept official documentation issued by authorities in Taiwan because they are not regarded as a government.
The Taiwanese foreign ministry has confirmed that the number of countries that offered preferential visa terms to Taiwan had dropped from 166 from 171.
According to a report published by CNA’s Focus Taiwan, the ministry alleged that Botswana has changed Taiwan’s designation on the drop-down menu on its e-visa application system from “Taiwan” to “China” due to pressure from the People’s Republic of China.
Colombia
As a result, Taiwan passport holders can no longer apply for an e-visa in the new setup.
CNA added that Colombia has also followed in the footsteps of Botswana by cancelling its previous visa-free conditions for Taiwan.
The publication reported that the Taiwanese ministry believed that some of the countries that cancelled preferential visa treatment for Taiwan nationals were acting on the instructions of China after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government.”