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China`s Birthplace Condition Scorned By Canada
Taipei, July 22: Canada has rejected China`s requirement that immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau must list their birthplace as ``China`` when they apply for Canadian passports, a Taiwan newspaper said.
Taipei, July 22: Canada has rejected China's requirement that immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau must list their birthplace as ''China'' when they apply for Canadian passports, a Taiwan newspaper said.
''The Canadian passport office has issued a statement saying it has taken note of China's new visa rules, but these rules in no way require a change in Canada's passport policy,'' Taipei Times said.
''Although the inclusion in the passport of the applicant's birthplace is optional, it must be provided on the application form,'' the statement said.
But it cautioned Canadian passport holders requesting their birthplaces be omitted on their passport to check with foreign countries they intend to visit to ensure that they will encounter no difficulty in entering those countries.
China has recently informed foreign countries of its new visa rule for immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Under the new rule, immigrants from those three places must list their birthplace as ''China'' in their foreign passports because China regards Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territory.
Those who refuse to do so will be turned down when they apply for visas to visit China. The visa change makes no difference to Hong Kong and Macau residents because the former British and Portuguese colonies returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and 1999 respectively.
But Taiwan, seat of the exiled Republic of China since 1949, considers itself a sovereign country. Taiwan has diplomatic ties with 27 countries and has trade ties with more than 100 countries.
Taiwan blasted China's move as an attempt to downgrade Taiwan's national status and convince the world that Taiwan is a Chinese province.
The United States has said that the birthplace designation change would require US congressional consent.
A state department official told Taiwan's central news agency that before 1994, the US government used the designation ''China'' for place of birth for naturalised citizens from both Taiwan and mainland China.
But following lobbying by Taiwanese activist groups in the US, a new law was passed in 1994 to give Taiwan and Chinese immigrants the right to decide whether to use ''China'' or ''Taiwan'' for their place of birth in their passports.
China's new visa rule does not affect Japan because Japan regards immigrants as Japanese citizens and their birthplace as Japan, so there is not birthplace column in Japanese passports.
Bureau Report
''The Canadian passport office has issued a statement saying it has taken note of China's new visa rules, but these rules in no way require a change in Canada's passport policy,'' Taipei Times said.
''Although the inclusion in the passport of the applicant's birthplace is optional, it must be provided on the application form,'' the statement said.
But it cautioned Canadian passport holders requesting their birthplaces be omitted on their passport to check with foreign countries they intend to visit to ensure that they will encounter no difficulty in entering those countries.
China has recently informed foreign countries of its new visa rule for immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Under the new rule, immigrants from those three places must list their birthplace as ''China'' in their foreign passports because China regards Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territory.
Those who refuse to do so will be turned down when they apply for visas to visit China. The visa change makes no difference to Hong Kong and Macau residents because the former British and Portuguese colonies returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and 1999 respectively.
But Taiwan, seat of the exiled Republic of China since 1949, considers itself a sovereign country. Taiwan has diplomatic ties with 27 countries and has trade ties with more than 100 countries.
Taiwan blasted China's move as an attempt to downgrade Taiwan's national status and convince the world that Taiwan is a Chinese province.
The United States has said that the birthplace designation change would require US congressional consent.
A state department official told Taiwan's central news agency that before 1994, the US government used the designation ''China'' for place of birth for naturalised citizens from both Taiwan and mainland China.
But following lobbying by Taiwanese activist groups in the US, a new law was passed in 1994 to give Taiwan and Chinese immigrants the right to decide whether to use ''China'' or ''Taiwan'' for their place of birth in their passports.
China's new visa rule does not affect Japan because Japan regards immigrants as Japanese citizens and their birthplace as Japan, so there is not birthplace column in Japanese passports.
Bureau Report