Taiwan Faces Visa Dilemma with Macau Over 'One China' Stance

Taiwan struggles to deploy officials to its Macau office due to visa denials tied to Beijing's 'One China' policy. This situation has led to staffing shortages and operational challenges, prompting concerns over bilateral relations and impacting services for Taiwanese residents in Macau.

Taiwan is facing significant difficulties in sending officials to its representative office in Macau as the local government denies visas to those who refuse to recognize Beijing's 'One China' principle, according to a report from the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) cited by Taiwan News. China resumed sovereignty over Macau in 1999.

During a press conference, MAC deputy head Liang Wen-chieh disclosed that a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official recently returned to Taiwan after a decade-long posting in Macau, unable to secure a new visa under the stringent political conditions imposed by the Macau government. Since 2019, Macau has required Taiwan's officials to sign an affidavit acknowledging the 'One China' principle.

Liang emphasized that this requirement is unacceptable to Taiwan and has prevented new officials from taking up posts in Macau. The absence of these officials is causing disruptions, forcing services to be managed remotely. Liang called on Macau to ease these conditions to avoid straining bilateral relations and tarnishing its international reputation.

(With inputs from agencies.)