Starting Jan. 11, 2011, ROC passport holders can travel to the EU for up to 90 days without the need to apply for a visa. This development brings the number of nations that have given Taiwan visa-free entry status up to 97. It means that Taiwanese can now freely travel to most nations in the world.
It is significant and meaningful that the ROC has obtained this privilege from almost 100 nations, in the same year that the nation is celebrating its 100th birthday.
It means that the values of the ROC have been recognized. Even though Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, and even though it has diplomatic relations with fewer than 30 nations, 97 nations now recognize the validity of ROC passports. In recognizing the validity of ROC passports, they also implicitly admit the existence of the ROC.
By contrast, even though mainland China has diplomatic relations with 170 nations, only about 20 nations have given its citizens the right of visa-free entry. It is clear which passport is more respected.
The fact that so many nations now give Taiwan this privilege means that the people of Taiwan have won the trust of the international community. When a nation is deciding whether to grant another nation visa-waiver status, in addition to considering the economic benefits resulting from more tourists, it must consider whether opening up its doors to the citizens of another country poses a risk to national security.
In other words, the final decision depends in large part on the behavior and quality of the people in the nation under question. Over the course of the last few decades, Taiwanese have repeatedly demonstrated that they conduct themselves in a trustworthy manner when traveling abroad, whether for business, pleasure or humanitarian reasons.
In explaining its decision to give visa-free privileges to ROC citizens, the EU noted that "the imposition of the visa requirement on the citizens of Taiwan is no longer justified, as, in particular, the territory does not represent any risk of illegal immigration or threat to public policy for the Union.” This is a testimony to the good conduct of the people of Taiwan.
The decision is also proof that President Ma Ying-jeou’s mainland China policy is beginning to pay off. Now that Taiwan is following a nonconfrontational approach, tensions between the two sides have subsided significantly. The pursuit of peaceful relations is in accordance with international trends, and the reduction in cross-strait tensions was an important factor in the EU decision.
Five years ago, mainland China raised a huge outcry when Japan announced its decision to give the right of visa-free entry to ROC citizens. This time, when a mainland Chinese spokesperson was asked to comment on the EU decision, the response was that mainland China “is not opposed” to such a move.
The benefits of Ma’s approach can be appreciated by considering the results of a recent survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei. More than 80 percent of business leaders who responded to the AmCham 2010 Business Climate Survey said they felt optimistic about Taiwan’s business outlook, and more than 90 percent of them said they believed the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement would have a positive impact on Taiwan’s economy.
When the survey results were announced at a news conference Jan. 6, AmCham Chairman Bill Wiseman said that “ECFA is very positive because it gives Taiwan a reason to be on the map.” Many businesses, he said, are now reassessing Taiwan’s strategic importance, and finding that Taiwan could play an important role when it comes to trade with mainland China.
Wiseman’s remarks about ECFA giving Taiwan a reason to be on the map can be complemented by the EU decision to “open its doors” to the people of Taiwan. Both are proof that when Taiwan no longer shuts itself off from the world, the world will return the favor and welcome Taiwan with open arms.
It should not be forgotten that international exchange is a two-way street. Now that others have opened their doors to us, we should do the same and open our doors to them. That is the way to promote peaceful and friendly relations. It is the only way to promote international understanding. (HZW)
(This commentary originally appeared in the United Daily News Jan 11.)
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