TAIPEI – Taiwan announced on August 1 that it is facing challenges in staffing its representative office in Macau due to the special administrative region’s requirement for officials to commit to the “One China Principle” as a condition for obtaining a visa.
Liang Wen-chieh, the deputy head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, disclosed that a Taiwan official scheduled to be posted to Macau was unable to secure a visa. He urged Macau to eliminate this obstacle and approach the issue amicably, although he added that Taiwan would “prepare for the worst,” without providing further details.
The crux of the issue lies in Macau’s demand that Taiwan officials agree to the “One China Principle.” This principle asserts that there is only one China, governed by the Beijing-based Communist government, with Taiwan being an inalienable part of the country. Taiwan, a democratic and self-ruled island, rejects this stance, asserting its right to self-determination and maintaining that it has never been under the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China.
This situation mirrors a similar conflict that resulted in Taiwan recalling seven representative officials from Hong Kong in 2021, leaving only local employees to manage affairs. It also highlights China’s ongoing efforts to diminish Taiwan’s international recognition. This week, President Lai Ching-te called for global democracies to stand up to Beijing.
Currently, only two Taiwanese staff remain in the Macau office, forcing Taiwan to provide consular services remotely, according to Liang. Both Macau and Hong Kong closed their representative offices in Taipei in 2021 amidst deteriorating cross-strait relations and accusations of Taiwan meddling in Hong Kong affairs.
Relations between China and Taiwan have further declined over the past decade. Beijing has intensified its pressure on the island since President Lai’s election in January to succeed Ms. Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party. Following a deadly boat incident in February, China’s coast guard has increased patrols near Taiwan’s offshore islands. In May, China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan shortly after Mr. Lai took office and later enacted a law targeting supporters of Taiwan independence.
In response, Taiwan raised its travel alert for China in late June, advising its citizens to avoid non-essential trips. However, there has been some diplomatic progress. Beijing and Taipei agreed on July 30 to resolve the boat incident, and Taiwan’s United Daily News reported on August 2 that a Taiwanese angler detained by China will return to Taiwan on August 7.