If it were deliberate irony, it would be unbearable. But it is strategy, not irony. From an article on letting independent Chinese tourists in....Taiwan is set to accept independent Chinese visitors, Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo said Monday.So...they are going to let in more businesspeople and tourists. And then there is this from the other day on the rise of Chinese prostitutes in Taiwan....
Speaking at a legislative session, Mao said the Cabinet had determined in principle that Taiwan would open its doors to three categories of Chinese visitors -- tourists, business visitors and visitors to outlying islands -- but that details of the opening were still in the pipeline.
Management would differ for these three categories, Mao said in response to questions raised by two Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers.
Details would be publicized in the near future, he said, but for example, management of general Chinese tourists would be strictest, and would include restrictions on the number allowed to enter Taiwan each day.
But we're going to let in more Chinese asRecently, in accordance with government policy to allow Chinese to visit Taiwan for leisure and business, more people are arriving as tourists or businesspeople, but just staying and working illegally, the official said.
In March, more than 100 Chinese nationals were caught working as prostitutes in the landmark Tower 85 in Kaohsiung.
Further investigation found that all of the women came into the country as businesspeople.
“It costs only about 30,000 Chinese yuan [US$4,500] to get forged job certificates and forged invitations,” a Kaohsiung police officer said. “So a lot of [Chinese] who don’t even know how to read and write could become chief executives of some department store or real estate groups in China and come to Taiwan for ‘business.’”
..............
NIA officials said that more Chinese choose to come into Taiwan as businesspeople or tourists because it’s much harder to check their identity than through a fake marriage.
Police officers said that, although the government has relaxed entry regulations for Chinese nationals, “they don’t care if there is sufficient manpower to deal with the change.”
ADDED: A reader reminds that in Taiwan new laws are being proposed to allow one-woman brothels. Sort of like the Hong Kong SAR.
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20 comments:
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I swear, it's like watching a movie I've seen a million times in slow-motion.
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This is sad... I would not be surprised at all if the women(or men) didn't know they were going be forced into prostitution. In fact, I wonder if this isn't the work by some cross-strait collaboration of various criminal organisations.
Michael, the truth is that if the prostitutes weren't brought in from the mainland they would have been brought in by their Taiwan-based associates from elsewhere - Vietnam or Indonesia or some such, or would have been brought in under the water as it were. Anyone trying to make out that restrictions on visas for mainland Chinese actually protect Taiwan to any great degree against prostitution (or spying, or - for god's sake - organised crime) is peddling nonsense. It's not like there aren't plenty of genuine mainland business people whose business in Taiwan will be facilitated by loosening the restrictions. However, listening to some people you'd think that this has no upside to loosening visa restrictions (or allowing mainland students to study in Taiwan, or allowing Mainland manufacturers greater access to the Taiwanese market) and the measures are merely more evidence of Ma's Manchurian Candidate-status.
- Chinese not welcome in Taiwan.
- Michael Turton and its likes allow to stay in Taiwan and pass unsolicited comments of how Taiwan should act and behave.
- Only fools think they have the rights when actually there is none.
Natives
Allowing independent tourists is a no-brainer from a human rights perspective. There shouldn't be any restrictions there outside the regular visa requirements. Obviously, some kind of policing needs to be in place to protect those exploited and forced into prostitution but that's a problem no different to any developed country in the world. There are already thousands of illegal workers here, ranging from kindergarten English teachers through South East Asia laborers. If restrictions were placed on Chinese citizens due to fears of illegal work/overstay, then the same restrictions would need to be placed on western teachers and se asian workers.
All in all, it's a good move by the government, especially from the human rights, non-discrimination point of view.
Anonymous said... Michael Turton and its likes allow to stay in Taiwan and pass unsolicited comments of how Taiwan should act and behave.
- Only fools think they have the rights when actually there is none.
*********************
Turton is here legally, conducting legal business and expressing himself according the the "free speech" laws of the land.
The last I looked it is his blog and you've solicited via tuning in, reading and making your red comments.
Fools are normally the last to know.
But these may be features you find distasteful with freedom and good reason to vote KMT.
Taken from Foreign Policy on-line:
"U.N. report: Chinese bullets used to attack peacekeepers in Darfur"
Bullets and whores; quality exports from China.
Michael - as soon as you allow people in, some will abuse the system. Many South East Asians also work as prostitutes in Taiwan. That fact is not a sufficient reason for banning people from these countries from visiting or working in Taiwan. The only realistic way to control the problem is more careful checks on visa applications and better enforcement of the law within Taiwan.
The only realistic way to control the problem is more careful checks on visa applications and better enforcement of the law within Taiwan.
The second article says they don't have the manpower to do that.
The second article says they don't have the manpower to do that
Based on the anonymous briefing of one official in the NIA.
The numbers of illegal workers/prostitutes from South-East Asian countries is any case substantially higher.
The numbers of illegal workers/prostitutes from South-East Asian countries is any case substantially higher.
Yes, and none of those people is from a country that wants to stamp out a free and independent Taiwan, and whose traditional practice of assimilating territories for annexation is flooding them with its own people. Etc.
Michael
I swear, it's like watching a movie I've seen a million times in slow-motion.
As are the objections.
Yes, and none of those people is from a country that wants to stamp out a free and independent Taiwan, and whose traditional practice of assimilating territories for annexation is flooding them with its own people. Etc.
Are you referring to Han migration to Tibet/Xinjiang?
The legal movement of tens of millions of Han Chinese to frontier regions within the PRC and a few thousand illegal workers/prostitutes staying illegally in Taiwan are two very different things.
The movement of illegal workers/prostitutes in Taiwan has nothing to do with PRC government policy, and their numbers are much smaller than in other advanced Asian countries. Tokyo, for example, is full of Chinese workers. They are simply following the money...
"Bullets and whores; quality exports from China."
Agent Orange and whores; quality exports from your country.
"U.N. report: Chinese bullets used to attack peacekeepers in Darfur"
US missiles fired from drones used to kill innocent women and children in Afhagnistan and Pakistan.
And you think you are a Sage?
Richa
"But these may be features you find distasteful with freedom and good reason to vote KMT."
KMT totally guarantees Michael and your freedom of speech.
Says who?
Hint below :)
"Turton is here legally, conducting legal business and expressing himself according the the "free speech" laws of the land. "
Sane
@anon8:41
It’s amazing that Chinese of your likes can claim yourselves “natives” and think a Taiwanese at heart like Michael does not deserve a right to speak. Your CCP/KMT mindset apparently still stays at 1960’s when Taiwanese are forced to speak your language, abandon their own culture and salute the dictator, your Grandpa Chiang, everyday. This reminds me of a Taiwanese expression that Dr. Jerome Keating often uses: 乞丐趕廟公. I would not expect that you, being a true Chinese, would understand what it means. I suggest you have your brain examined before calling all Taiwan loving people “fools”.
"Yes, and none of those people is from a country that wants to stamp out a free and independent Taiwan, and whose traditional practice of assimilating territories for annexation is flooding them with its own people. Etc.
Michael"
Right on target Michael!
BTW, have you tried the Alishan-Tataka-Tongpo route?
Richa
Incredible. TVFT used to be the blog of a progressively minded blogger. This post, and Turton's responses to comments, just follows on the trend over the past few months that see TVFT and its author appearing more and more like a right wing hawk when it comes to politics. Calling for restrictions on tourists from a world power is simply Freedom Fries Taiwan style. Pathetic.
It's funny because I haven't changed a bit. But the situation has. D'oh.
Hasn't the flood of Mainland Chinese to Taiwan been happening for years now? Certainly seems anecdotally that there are more and more young Mainland Chinese wives settling here with their Taiwanese husbands. And, more and more Chinese girls and women coming in and out of (legal?) entertainment establishments all over Taiwan... Come walk with me a block to about four such establishments here in Sinjhuang.
My point is, the Chinese are already in Taiwan. Why not allow freer travel and have Taiwan's economy benefit from their contributions (legal and illegal). Hotel bookings. Restaurants. Flights. Buying books (good for them to get exposed to free expression in Taiwan). Medical care. Etc.
Medical care is a good point; we can't develop medical tourism because Chinese aren't allowed to leave their tour groups.
BOyd, the number of Chinese wives, and of foreign brides overall, has been gently falling in the last few years.
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