Taiwan to crack down on China misuse of business visas

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) Taiwan's government will strictly crack down on Chinese visitors who participate in tourist activities in Taiwan under the pretense of business, with offenders potentially barred from re-entering Taiwan for five years, a senior cross-strait affairs official said Thursday.

At a meeting of the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee to discuss "China's hybrid threats to Taiwan's national security," lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said there have recently been articles posted to the Chinese social media website Xiaohongshu instructing Chinese travelers wanting to go to Taiwan to attend concerts to apply for a business visa instead of a "visitor visa for attending conferences or exhibitions."

According to the posts, a business visa does not require the traveler to visit exhibition venues and therefore allows for more freedom when planning trips.

In response, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said the MAC has received many complaints regarding the issue.

"We've seen some unscrupulous agencies exploiting this loophole -- since business visas are easier to apply for -- to charge high fees for Chinese people to come here to engage in activities different than their stated purpose of visit," Shen said.

Taiwan resumed the program to allow in Chinese travelers on short-term visits for attending conferences or exhibitions on Aug. 24, 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic has eased in hopes that doing so would revitalize trade across the Taiwan Strait, Shen said.

It is "regrettable" that some Chinese nationals have exploited business visas to see entertainers or to come sightseeing in Taiwan, Shen said.

The MAC will conduct a thorough investigation to verify whether a Chinese visitor is a member of the Chinese Communist Party, a Chinese government official or a member of the Chinese military, he said.

If the visitor's stated purpose is to attend a trade show but their scheduled itinerary includes tourist destinations such as the Sun Moon Lake and Kenting, their movement will be monitored, Shen said.

If it is found that their destinations contradict their stated purpose of visit, they could be barred from entering Taiwan again for up to five years, Shen said.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese agencies that charge Chinese travelers exorbitant fees to help them exploit the loophole could be barred from soliciting customers for six months to five years and could face a charge of forgery, Shen added.